Just one of those things
by Punksbaby
Summary: A one night only thing gets slightly more complicated when someone won't give up on it... I only own the OC's, anyone you recognise does not belong to me, I'm not that lucky!
1. Chapter 1

"My name is Mariana and I am a brazen hussy" I groan, stumbling into my hotel room. I close the door as quietly as I can and put the keycard on the table. "Yes, yes you are" Kristen says from the sofa. I jump and look at her. "What are you doing up?" I ask, walking over and slumping next to her. "Oh I don't know" she says, glaring at me. "How are you meant to sleep when your best friend disappears from the bar you went to TOGETHER, and then doesn't even come back to the hotel? You could have been dead in a gutter somewhere Riana! Jeez! What do you think cell phones were invented for?" I groan and shake my head. "Was kinda too busy to even think about my cell" I admit. "Kris, honestly, he was to die for!" "They all are" she says, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. "You need to get your shit together so we can check out. I'm all packed, just waiting for you now. I'm so glad we get to go home today, this conference has been bore city!" I nod. "I'll just shower and then I'll be right with you" I say, heading to the bathroom. "Sure" she says sarcastically. "Wash all traces of whatever his name was away." "Colin" I say. "Although the guys he was with called him something else." She's looking at me with a disapproving look as I close the door on her. "How many were there?" she yells. "Three!" I yell back. "Yeah!" she yells. "Hussy!" I ignore her and get under the hot water, scrubbing myself for the next five minutes until I feel human again.

An hour later and we're checking we've got everything before we check out of the hotel and head back home. Kristen still isn't speaking to me properly, if looks could kill I'd be in a box six feet under. "Look" I say as we get to the door. "I'm sorry, ok? I didn't mean for it to happen, but Kris, he was so damn fine!" "Which one?" she sneers. I shake my head. "I know I said there were three of them" I say looking at her. "But I swear I only went back with one." She nods. "I know you're not that much of a slut" she says smiling. I grin. "I'm not saying I wouldn't have been tempted though!" I admit, dodging a slap. We laugh as I open the door. I grab my bag and step into the corridor. "Fuck!" I groan, glancing towards the lift. I turn and try to push past her to get back in the room, but its too late. "Riana?" a voice calls from down the corridor. "Hey toots!" another voice yells. Kristen glares at me. "In our hotel?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. I take a deep breath and turn around. "Hey, um, Colin?" I say. His friends laugh. "Colin?" the one who called me toots laughs. "Wow, I've heard you called some things in my time, but never Colin!" Kristen thinks this is hilarious. "Ah, so this is the fabulous foursome" she says, stepping into the corridor. She looks at them, then quickly looks at me. "No. Fucking. Way." she says. I frown. "What?" I ask, confused. "A word" she says dragging me back into the room and slamming the door behind us.

"You went back with those three last night?" she asks. I groan and nod. "Kinda hot, ain't they?" I smirk. "Kinda hot" she snorts, grabbing her phone. "Kinda freaking hot! Riana, do you know what you've done?" I shake my head as I watch her scroll through her phone. "Oh shit" she groans, thrusting it in my face. I frown as I look at a picture of me and the guys leaving the bar last night. "Who is she?" I read. "Ok" I say giving her the phone back. "Why is this on twitter, and why is it such a big deal?" She groans and opens the door. Colin is stood outside, a grin on his face. "Allow me to introduce myself" he says holding his hand out to her. "I'm..." "Seth Rollins" she groans. I shake my head. "No" I say. "That sounds nothing like Colin." "Doll" toots guy laughs. "Remind me to keep you around, you're a laugh a minute!" "Shut it Ambrose" Seth growls. "Riana, my name is Colby." "Ahhhhhhh" I say, grinning sheepishly. "Figures. I never would have slept with a Colin!" "You didn't sleep with Colby either!" Ambrose yells. "There was no sleeping in that room last night!" Seth looks at me and we both go red. "Hey Ambrose" I say. He appears next to Seth and I smirk. "He was worth every second of the sleep I didn't get" I say, winking. A deep chuckle from down the corridor reminds me that there was another one in the group. "Ahhhhh" I say, looking towards the lift. "The Samoan love god himself!" "Oh so you remember his name do you?" Seth asks, feigning hurt. I laugh. "Awwww come here my little love monkey" I say, pulling him closer and hugging him. "Man you smell good Colby!" "Careful" Ambrose smirks. "That's what started all this off last night. We haven't got time for round six, our car leaves for the airport in five minutes." "So" I say, looking at Kristen. "Explanation time. You know Seth, Colby, Colin, how?" She frowns as she looks at me. "The Shield" she says simply, as if it's meant to mean something to me. I shake my head and stare at her blankly. "Riana" she groans. "These guys are wrestlers with the WWE." I laugh. "Course they are" I say. She stands and looks at me with a serious look on her face. "I wouldn't lie to you" she says. "Why do you think it's on twitter, you leaving the bar with them last night? Fangirls are going crazy now." Ambrose chuckles. "Damn they're getting faster at this" he says. "Congrats toots, welcome to our world. Everyone's gonna know who you are by the end of the day." I shake my head. "No way" I say, finally letting Seth go. He nods, looking at me. "Sorry" he says simply. I'm still shaking my head when the Samoan love god appears. Kristen goes red and hides behind me. "Guys we need to go" he says quietly. Ambrose nods and looks at Seth, who looks at me. I look at him and Ambrose groans. "Fuck sake Colby" he groans. "Kiss her and get it over with will ya? And make it a good one, I'll be marking you out of ten." I'm mid laugh when Colby drags me out of the doorway and along the corridor, not stopping until we've gone round the corner.

"Sorry about him" he says, looking into my eyes as he pins me against the wall. "He can be, well, a bit full on I guess." "Is it true?" I ask quietly. "The wrestler bit?" He groans and nods. I bite my lip and nod too. "Well" I say. "It was nice meeting you, Colin." He frowns as I wriggle out of his grasp and start to walk back towards the others. He grabs my arm and pulls me back to him. "Where are you going?" he asks. "Home" I say simply. "Look, whatever your name is, we had our fun, now it's time to get back to reality. You can move on to whatever girl you've got waiting for you in the next city, and I'll go back to not watching wrestling and not knowing who you are. Win win I say." I pull my arm out of his hand and this time I run away. I push past the love god, Ambrose and Kristen and slam the door to the hotel room behind me. I can hear Ambrose asking what happened, then muffled voices before silence, and Kristen banging on the door. "What is your problem?" she asks as soon as I open it. I pull her in and slam the door. "Panic over dumbass!" she yells. "They've got in the lift already. What the fuck happened then? Seth just walked up, grabbed his bag and carried on walking." I shake my head. "Nothing happened" I say. "I just told him to move on to whatever girl he's got waiting for him in the next city." "You did what?" she shrieks. "Oh my fucking god! Riana how can you be so stupid? That is not something you say to him! Holy shit! The amount of times I've gone through what I'd say to them if I actually met them, and then you go and do this! He was so in to you! You need to go after him. Now." I shake my head. "You have got to be kidding me" I say looking at her. She's not. I can tell by the look on her face she's deadly serious. I know I have to do this. I groan and throw the door open, taking the stairs to the lobby instead of the lift.

"That's her!" a girl yells as I run through reception. "Colby!" I yell. He's at the doors already. "Hey, Colin!" I yell again. This time he stops, turning around slowly. "Riana?" he asks as I run to him. He drops his bag and catches me, wrapping his arms around me as our mouths collide. He picks me up and I wrap my legs around him, moaning as his tongue clashes with mine. "Oh my fucking god" Ambrose groans. "There's tongue action there. I'm gonna have to give him an eleven for this. Do you realise I've never given him an eleven Joe? Fuck! Why does he have to be Mr Romance all of a sudden?" "Can't all be like you, Mr Fuck 'em and chuck 'em" Joe chuckles. Colby and I pull apart and look at each other shyly. "So, yeah" I say as he puts me down. "Uh, bye. Have a good trip." I start to walk off and he growls at me. "Mariana!" he yells. "Don't you dare walk away from me again!" "Or what, Colby?" I ask, turning around and looking at him. "I'll find you" he says. "I swear, I'll find you again." I shake my head and carry on walking back to Kristen.


	2. Chapter 2

The following weeks blur into each other. Kristen still hasn't forgiven me, it's got so bad I've broken my budget and rented an apartment myself. It's lonely, but I love it here, right on the beach. All the stuff with the fangirls has died down too thankfully. It took a while, our little make out session in the hotel lobby saw to that. I started following Seth on twitter. His tweets are mostly about CrossFit though, no romance, but I suppose he'd keep that to himself. I'm sat on my balcony now, with my breakfast coffee, going through my twitter feed before I head to work. That's when I see it. He's tweeted. "Tonight we're in sunny Pensacola! If you're in town come see us, until then, the beach is calling!" Uh oh. I slowly look to the beach, wondering if he's there yet. My prime piece of real estate suddenly feels real exposed. My phone rings on the table, bringing me out of my dreamworld. It's work. "Hey Mariana" Kristen says. "Just to let you know, there's no point coming in today. The AC is broken, office is like a sauna, they're sending us all home." "Ok" I say quietly. "Thanks for letting me know." "No problem" she says. "So, what are you gonna do with your day off?" "No idea" I say. "May grab the rollerblades and iPod and hit the beach for a skate." "Sounds good" she says. "I'll text you later, ok?" "Sure" I say and hang up. I finish my coffee and head into the bedroom to change out of my stuffy work clothes. I swap them for a pair of denim hot pants and a bikini top before grabbing my blades and iPod, making sure I've got my keys before heading out to the beach.

I manage the full length of the beach without seeing him. Not that I'm looking for him, of course. I sit on a vacant bench and take my phone out of my pocket. Kristen has mentioned me in a tweet. "Hey Riana, your lover is in town, have you heard?" Shit. She's tagged him in it too, and he's favourited it and retweeted. So much for keeping his love life under wraps. "I heard" I reply. "I'm hibernating." Shit, how could I be so stupid? Hitting reply means he's mentioned in that too. Stupid, stupid, stupid! "Hibernating with me after the show tonight" he replies. I shake my head as my phone beeps again. Kristen. "How's that for a proposal Riana! Nicely done Rollins! Or should that be Colin?" I groan as I hear a laugh. I'd know that laugh anywhere. Its been weeks, but it gives me goosebumps instantly. "Fucks up with you?" a voice growls. That laugh again. "Kristen just called me Colin" Seth says. The voices are getting closer. I put my head down and study my phone intently, cursing when it beeps again. "Hell I'll answer to anything" Seth tweeted. "How about dumbass?" I reply. I watch from the corner of my eye as the three of them walk past me. "Oooooh cut me deep!" Seth says, showing the phone to Ambrose and the Samoan love god. Ambrose laughs. "Yeah, I still like her" he says. I smile as I have an idea. It's gonna totally give me away but it's so gonna be worth it. "Tell Ambrose I still like him too" I reply, waiting for Seth's phone to beep. It does and he freezes. "What?" Ambrose asks. Seth shows him and they both look around. "Toots!" Ambrose yells, running over to me. I laugh as he picks me up and swings me round. "Woah" he says looking me up and down when he puts me back on the ground. "You sure you wanna waste time with ninja boy here? Come let Ambrose show you a good time, Ambrose style." "Quit hitting on her Dean" Seth says walking over to us. I look at him and frown. "Keep hitting on me Dean" I say, glaring at Seth. "You wanna join us Mariana?" Samoan love god asks. I shake my head, looking down at my clothes. "Not exactly dressed for it, um..." I say. "Joe" he says smiling. "But I like Samoan love god too." I grin. "I've got no problem with that" I say. "I got no problem with how you're dressed toots" Dean pipes up. I groan. "Why am I not surprised?" I ask smiling. "My clothes ain't the problem though, it's my rollerblades." "Take them off" Colby says simply. "Take it all off toots" Dean smirks. I slap him and he grins. "Kinky" he whispers in my ear. I laugh and sit down, taking my blades off quickly. "Shit the floor is hot!" I squeal dancing from foot to foot. "Easily solved" Joe says, scooping me up in his arms. "Wait!" Colby yells. Joe turns us around and we look at him. He's got his phone in his hand. "Excuse me" he says stopping an old man. "Could you get a picture of us?" The man nods, taking Colby's phone, and Colby walks over, taking me from Joe easily. "Don't fight me Riana" he begs as he turns us to face the man. Dean and Joe stand either side of us. I put my head on Colby's shoulder and the guy takes the picture. "Thank you" Colby says, taking his phone back and checking the picture. "One for twitter" Joe says, peeking over Colby's shoulder. Colby looks at me. "Can I?" he asks. I shrug. "Your crazy fangirls" I say. He smiles. I watch as he writes a caption before posting the photo. "At the beach with my boys, and my girl" he posts. I groan. "How to get hated in one photo" I say as Colby carries me onto the sand. As he puts me down my phone rings.

"Please tell me Seth photoshopped that picture!" Kristen begs. I laugh. "Unfortunately no" I say. "I'm really at the beach with them, getting ready for the fangirl hate." She laughs. "Oh it's starting" she says. "Shit! Dean!" I yell. Kristen laughs. "What's wrong?" she asks. "Idiot Ambrose just pulled my shorts down" I say, kicking them off and giving Dean a warning look. He winks and runs off down the beach. "Please tell me you're not commando" Kristen groans. "No!" I squeal. "Bikini bottoms, but that's besides the point!" She laughs. "I gotta go" she says. "Put in a good word for me with Roman." "Roman?" I ask, confused. "I'm only with Colby, Dean and Joe. Who the fuck is Roman?" "That would be me, baby girl" Joe says, smiling at me. I groan. "Shit!" I say. "All these names are giving me a headache, how the fuck don't you guys have a identity crisis?" They laugh. "Technically" Colby says. "You're with Colby, Joe and Jon." "Pick a name and stick with it" I say as Joe and Colby laugh. Kristen chuckles. "I'll leave you to your Shield fun" she says. "You best call me later with any gossip!" I groan and hang up. I throw my phone at Colby and take off down the beach after Dean.

He's staring out to sea so I creep up behind him and yank his shorts down. "Riana!" he yells, pulling them back up quickly. "This is war toots!" Colby and Joe are rolling around laughing. I jump on their blanket and hide behind them. "Met my bodyguards Ambrose?" I ask, smiling sweetly. He smirks and shakes his head. "They won't always be able to protect you toots" he warns, sitting down with us. Colby looks at me and puts his arm around my shoulders. "So" he says quietly. "What brings you to sunny Pensacola?" "I live here" I say, frowning. He does a double take and stares at me. "No way" he says, shaking his head. I groan and nod. "Did you think I flew in especially to see you?" I ask. "Cos I didn't, I didn't even know you were in town until this morning, thanks to twitter. How long are you guys in town for anyway?" Colby laughs. "We, uh, live here too" he says finally. "We've got a week off after tonight's show." I nod. "Nice" I say. Joe groans and we both look at him. He points and we see his problem straight away. Fangirls. Lots of them. The guys quickly put up the windbreakers and we all settle down to talk. "Mariana you bitch!" one girl yells. "Colby is mine!" another yells. I look at Colby and he sighs. "I'm sorry" he says. "Maybe that picture wasn't such a good idea after all." "Ya think?" Dean asks sarcastically. "I should go" I say, grabbing my shorts to put them back on. "You guys won't get any peace with me here." Joe grabs my arm. "No" he says shaking his head. "You've got as much right to be here as we do. Jon and I will go give them a few pictures to keep them happy. You two stay here, do whatever talking you gotta do." Colby nods and looks at me expectantly. "Ok" I sigh finally. Jon and Joe stand up and walk off, leaving me with Colby.

"Um, right" he says watching as the guys walk away. "So how have you been?" "Good" I say, looking at him. "Well, once the crazy fan girl shit died down, anyway. Before that it was hell." He nods. "I looked for you" he says quietly. "I searched everywhere Riana." "I didn't want to be found" I say. "I got enough heat for one lifetime after just one night. I didn't need that any more." "I'd never let anything happen to you" he says, looking me in the eyes. "Mariana, come to the show with us tonight. Be our guest. Or hell, come with me, Joe and Jon can travel on their own, we're leaving from the apartment anyway. Please?" I shake my head. "I can't, Colby" I say, grabbing my shorts and pulling them back on. "That night we had, yeah, it was great, but I'm not up for a repeat performance. I can't do it. I'm sorry. I have to go." I stand up, grab my blades and my phone, and run.


	3. Chapter 3

I've avoided twitter and my phone for nearly 2 hours, and I've got to admit, it's nearly killed me. My phone has beeped what seems like a million times in those 2 hours, but I'm too chicken to check what abuse I'm getting. I put the phone on silent without looking at it and throw it back onto the table. I frown as I listen to what's going on outside. Sounds like a herd of elephants coming up the stairs. The footsteps stop on my floor and I hold my breath, listening as whoever it is starts laughing and joking. The door to the apartment opposite mine opens and finally slams shut, then the floor is quiet again. Until the music starts, that is. I smile. Whoever it is has great taste. Deftones, Fireworks, A Day To Remember. The music gets louder and I realise the door must be open again. "I'm just gonna see who it is" a voice says. "Do the neighbourly thing and ask to borrow a cup of sugar or something! Guys, we need to introduce ourselves, we're hardly here so it'll be good to know we've got someone living there now who can look after the place!" I groan and sit up, realising that whoever it is is about to knock my door. Well, knock is the understatement of the century, more like bang it off the hinges. I stand up and check my reflection in the mirror, sorting my hair out before opening the door.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me" I groan. "Toots!" Jon yells, rushing forward and hugging me. "Colby, your squeeze lives next door!" "The fuck are you talking about Ambrose?" Colby asks, appearing in the doorway opposite. "Riana? What are you doing here?" "I live here" I say. "Although I'm seriously considering moving now!" Jon lets me go and looks at me. "You're kidding, right?" he asks. "Yes Jon, I'm kidding" I groan. "All my money is tied up in this place. I'm going nowhere." "Good" Colby says looking at me. "Mariana you seriously need to stop running from me." "That's my cue to leave" Jon says kissing my cheek. "Catch you later toots." "Have a good show Jon" I say kissing him back. He chuckles and waves as he heads back in to his apartment. Colby waits until the door closes then looks at me again. "Can we talk?" he asks. "Alone? In private?" I nod and open the door wider, giving him room to step inside. He closes the door behind him and watches as I sit on the sofa. "Sit" I say. He nods and sits next to me. "We've done this completely backwards haven't we?" he says finally. I nod. "Yep" I say, looking at him. "If I'd known before what I know now, I wouldn't have gone near you." He looks at me in surprise. "Serious?" he splutters. I nod. "Yeah" I sigh. "Being with you is more trouble than it's worth Colby, the abuse, the fangirls, it's too much for me to deal with considering we only spent one night together." "One amazing night" he corrects. "Whatever" I dismiss. "Fact is, it was one night. That ain't gonna change. I'm sorry Colby, you need to go." He stands up and looks at me for a few seconds before letting himself out and shutting the door quietly behind him. I lie back on the sofa and stare at the ceiling.

I must have drifted off to sleep because the next thing I know my phone is vibrating all round the table. I grab it and answer it quickly. "Hello" I say groggily. "Quick!" Kristen says. "They're doing a radio interview, and you know they're gonna ask Colby about you!" I groan. "Kris" I say. "There is nothing he can say that they don't already know. Besides, there is no me and Colby. We had a talk earlier and I made that perfectly clear." "I'm on my way over" she says. "Get the radio on ready." I groan and hang up. She's at the door minutes later. "Has it started yet?" she asks coming through the door. I shake my head. "Drink?" I ask. She nods and I head into the kitchen. When I come back into the lounge she's sat listening eagerly. "Ok" the DJ says. "I'm here with the bad guys of the WWE, the Shield, in town for a show tonight, but am I right in saying you guys live here in Pensacola?" "Yeah" I groan. "Next fucking door!" Kristen looks at me. "What did you just say?" she asks. I put my finger on my lips and listen as Jon's raspy voice comes through my speakers. "Indeed we do" he says. "We had a few hours at home earlier before driving here, met the neighbour, played about on the beach, toots, I know you're listening cos you're too drawn to Ambrose not to be, payback is a bitch and I will not forget." The DJ laughs. "Private joke?" he asks. Jon chuckles. "Not as private as it should be, let's just say that" he says. Kristen looks at me. "You're toots" she says. I nod. "What did you do?" she asks. "Pulled his shorts down on the beach" I shrug. "Not my fault he goes commando." "Oh good lord!" she says laughing. "I bet you guys got mobbed on the beach" the DJ says. "Especially after Seth's tweet telling the world where you were going. Had some company too, so I see." Colby laughs. "Yeah" he says quietly. "Kinda jumped the gun a bit with that one." "The girl?" the DJ asks. "Yeah" Colby sighs. "Let's leave that topic out." "She bombed him out" Jon laughs. "Dean!" Joe growls. "What?" Jon asks. "Can I help it if I find it funny that the amazing Seth Rollins cant get the girl? That he didn't even get the let's be friends talk?" My phone starts going mad again. Twitter. "She bombed him out!" I read. "She stupid or something? I'd never turn Seth down" "Jeez! Poor Colby! I'm here if he needs a shoulder to cry on!" I look at Kristen. "I can't bloody win" I groan, showing her the phone. "Slated if I'm with him, slated if I'm not." "Exactly" she says handing the phone back to me. "So you may as well date the guy." I shake my head. "Not gonna happen" I say. She groans and shakes her head. "I'm going" she announces. I frown. "Interview isn't over yet" I say. She shrugs. "Colby doesn't want to talk about you" she says. "I was hoping he'd let me in on what's with you guys, clearly not. Anyway, you're out tonight aren't you? Shouldn't you be getting ready?" I look at the clock and groan. "Yeah" I say. "Jake is picking me up in an hour." She nods. "Catch you later" she says before letting herself out. I get up and head into the bathroom to shower quickly and get ready before Jake arrives to pick me up.

I'm ready just as Jake gets to the door. "Hey stranger" he says kissing my cheek. "Looking good Ria. Ready to go kill some karaoke?" I laugh. "Born ready Jake" I say grabbing my keys. He waits for me to lock the door before grabbing me and carrying me down the stairs. "Put me down you klutz!" I squeal, laughing. "Jake, you're flashing my ass!" I try and pull my leather mini skirt down over my ass and he swats my hand away. "I want the world to see what I'm taking out tonight" he laughs, finally setting me down. A black SUV pulls up at the curb and the engine gets shut off. Jake looks at me and I shrug. Three doors open at the same time and my worst nightmares get out. "Riana?" Colby says. Jake looks at me. "The fuck do you know Seth Rollins?" he asks quietly. I shake my head. "Long story" I say. "Plus they're my neighbours apparently." "Toots!" Jon yells, running at me. "Fuck you're a sight for sore eyes! Coming with us?" I shake my head. "Better offer sorry Jon" I say smiling. He slaps his hand across his chest. "She shot me down Joe" he groans, slumping to his knees. "Fuck, it hurts! Now I know how Colby feels!" Jake frowns at me and I shake my head. "Time to go" I say nudging him. "Catch you guys later." I walk to Jake's car as he gets the door open for me. I smile at him as I get in and he shuts the door before heading round to the drivers side. I sneak a glance out of the window as he starts the car. Colby is stood with Joe, shaking his head. Jon says something to him and he glares at Jake. I look away quickly as Jake gets the car into gear and we pull off.

"Spill Ria" he says. "Colby" I say. "We kinda got history. That works conference the other week, I got drunk at a bar and went back to the hotel with the three of them, didn't have a clue who they were. Spent the most amazing night with Colby, Kristen sees them the next morning and knows who they are, while I'm getting slated to fuck on twitter." "Woah!" he says. "You're the girl from twitter? The girl who bombed him out at the beach?" I groan and nod. "So what's with you and Ambrose?" he asks. "Nothing" I say, looking straight ahead. "There is nothing with me and any of the Shield, ok?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Dammit!" I groan as I kick the step. I stumble forward, my bag opening and spilling the contents all across the landing. "Well that's just fucking great" I grumble, picking myself up and dusting myself down before grabbing my bag and starting to gather the few bits that had been in there. As I reach for my keys a low throaty chuckle reaches my ears. "Ya know toots" Jon rasps, before taking another drag from his cigarette. "If he was any kind of a man, he woulda walked you to your door. Anyone could be lurking in the shadows here." I watch as he makes smoke rings before blowing the rest of the smoke in my face. "Anyone like you, right Ambrose?" I say standing up straight. "Damn right toots" he says laughing. "Here, gimme your keys." He takes them from me without waiting for me to answer. "What are you doing Jon?" I ask as he opens my door. "Proving I can be a gentleman" he says simply, standing back and letting me step into the apartment. "Sleep well toots, and don't forget to lock your door." I watch as he closes the door behind me. "Lock it Ria!" he growls. I quickly lock it and put the security chain on. I hear him give a satisfied chuckle before his door opens and shuts with a bang.

After a restless nights sleep I finally give up and get dressed, pulling on gym shorts and a bikini top. I scrape my hair up into a high ponytail, pull my trainers on, grab the iPod and a key and head out the door. I'm just locking the door behind me when the door to the guys apartment opens. I pretend not to notice and put the key in my pocket before running down the stairs. I run all thoughts of Colby out of my head as I run the length of the beach, then turn around and run back to the apartment to get ready for work.

"You can't avoid me forever Riana" he says softly from the stairs behind me as I unlock my door. "Watch me" I say, going into the apartment and slamming the door behind me. I run into the bathroom and shower quickly, singing to myself as I wash the beach away. I groan when I get into the bedroom and realise the time. "Nice Ria" I say grabbing my work clothes. I quickly get dressed and put my hair up into a tight bun before doing my makeup and grabbing my shoes. I stub my toe on the doorframe in my rush to get into the lounge. "Ah fuck!" I yell as I hop into the lounge. A chuckle comes from one of the sofas and I freeze. "What did I tell you about locking your door toots?" Jon asks, sitting up. "Fuck Ambrose you scared me" I say sitting opposite him and pulling my shoes on. He laughs. "I warned you Riana" he says simply. I nod. "I know you did Jon" I say quietly. "I was just in a hurry to get away from Colby..." "Ain't no getting away from Colby toots" he says seriously. "I should know, I've tried for the past three years! But seriously, why are you fighting this?" "There's nothing to fight Jon" I say grabbing my bag and checking everything I need is in there. He hands me my phone and I smile. "Thanks" I say quietly. "I, uh, kinda have to go, I'm gonna miss my bus." He nods and stands up. "Gimme a sec" he says opening the front door. I frown and follow him out, locking the door behind me. I check the time and groan, rushing down the stairs. "I said wait, Riana!" Jon yells after me. Something in his voice has me worried, so I do as he says. He runs down the stairs waving keys at me. "I'll take you to work" he says unlocking the SUV. I groan but nod as he opens the passenger door for me before running around and getting in the car. "Where to?" he asks, starting the car. I give him the address and he looks at me. "Woah" he says, impressed. "You're a lawyer?" I nod. "Explains the work clothes" he says, his eyes taking in my short skirt, blouse and high heels. "So, hotshot" he says. "How come you're not driving some Ferrari around?" "Had to sell my car to afford the apartment" I say, settling back in the seat. "Now I wish I hadn't bothered." "Life was simple before you met the neighbours, right?" he asks quietly. I nod. "Sorry Jon" I say. "But it's true. This has massively complicated things. I was fine, fangirl shit had died down, and now all of a sudden it's gonna kick back off again. With my job, I can't afford for that to happen, can you understand that?" "Hey I'm not the one with the problem being friendzoned Ria" he chuckles. "Hell, don't take that the wrong way, I sure as hell wouldn't say fucking no toots, but I can also take a hint. No is no, right?" I nod, smiling. "I just wish I could get that through to Colby" I groan. He smiles as he pulls up outside the building. "Thanks for the ride Jon" I say, kissing his cheek. "Anytime Ria" he says smiling as I get out of the car. "You need a ride home?" I shake my head. "The bus is good" I say smiling. "Thanks again." He waves as I shut the door. I watch as he pulls away, shaking my head as he pulls straight out into oncoming traffic. I take a deep breath and head into work.

"Didn't see you on the bus" Kristen says as I walk into the office. I shake my head. "Jon brought me" I say, dumping my bag and grabbing my coffee mug. She follows me to the coffee pot quickly. "Jon now?" she asks, raising her eyebrows. "Relax Kris" I groan. "Officially friendzoned, and he knows it. I just wish Colby would get the message too." She smiles. "Still trying huh?" she asks as we walk back to our desks. I groan and slump into my chair. "Still arguing with me for avoiding him" I admit, sipping my coffee. "I just don't know what else to do Kris. He's making our lives so difficult when they don't need to be." "Ria" she says slowly. "Have you ever thought that you may be the one who's making your life difficult? Give the guy a chance! He's made it clear that he's not giving up..." "Now he knows where I am, yeah!" I say. "Kris, I can't believe you're taking his side in this! It's been, what, five weeks since that night? I haven't seen him at the apartment in the four weeks I've lived there, so that's what, at least 28 one night stands he could have had in that time! No thanks, I'll stick to what I know." "Jake?" she sneers. I shake my head. "Not Jake" I say looking at her. "He's officially friendzoned too. He's kinda the same as the guys, the girls who throw themselves at him at our gigs, well, he doesn't know how to say no if you get my drift." She nods, smiling. "Maybe you should take a lesson from him and live a little" she suggests as my phone rings. I groan. "It's Pete" I say. She grins. "So answer it" she says. I spin my chair around and face away from her to take the call.

"Bang goes my early night" I groan, throwing my phone on the desk. Kristen looks up from her computer and frowns. "What's up?" she asks. "Pete" I sigh. "The act for tonight cancelled, guess who's filling in?" She grins. "Extra money Ria" she says. "I'll even come for a bit of moral support." I smile. "Thanks" I say opening one of the many files on my desk. "Think I may need it tonight. It's gonna be one mad rush getting home, getting changed and getting to the bar on time. Plus no Jake, he can't do tonight, some hot date or something." "And breathe Ria!" she says laughing. "We'll get it sorted, no problem ok?" I take a deep breath and nod. "Thanks Kris" I say. "No probs, toots" she grins. I groan and make a start on the work I have to get done.

My phone rings around lunchtime. I glance at it, having every intention of working through lunch so I can leave early tonight. "You gonna answer that Ria?" one of the girls asks as she walks past my desk. "Might be about that case you've got in court this afternoon." I groan and pick it up, not recognising the number. "Mariana Lopez" I say, propping it on my shoulder so I have both hands free to carry on my work. "Same last name as Colby" Jon laughs. "You sure you two didn't get married?" "No Jon you giant ass" I groan, giving up on my work and holding the phone properly. "How did you get my number anyway?" "I was alone with your phone for at least thirty minutes this morning Ria" he says. "Did you seriously think I wouldn't have done anything?" "Is there a reason for this call Jon?" I ask. "Only I'm kinda snowed under here and I need to leave early." "Nah toots" he says. "Just a friendly call to ask what time I'm picking you up after work?" I smile. "You're officially my favourite Shield dude at the moment Jon" I say as Kristen reappears in her seat. "Is four ok? I really need to rush tonight." "Rush is my middle name" he says huskily. "Well, when it counts, anyway, otherwise I prefer to take my time..." "See you at four Jon" I groan and hang up quickly. "Jon called you?" Kristen asks straight away. I groan and nod. "On the plus side" I say. "I have a ride home at four, plenty of time to get ready." She smiles. "Cool" she says. "I'll meet you at Pete's at seven?" I nod and manage to concentrate on my work straight away.

The afternoon flies by. Before I know it my phone is ringing again. "I'm outside when you're ready toots" Jon says and hangs up quickly. "Man of many words" I groan, grabbing my stuff. Kristen smiles. "Seven" she says as I grab my bag. I nod. "Please don't leave me stranded there alone" I beg. "Jake is normally there with me when I sing..." "Ria, I'll be there, ok?" she says. I smile and nod as I run out to meet Jon.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hi honey, how was your day?" Jon asks, leaning across to kiss my cheek as I get in the car. I laugh as I put my seatbelt on. "Could be worse" I say. "Got an unexpected call earlier, kinda in a rush now though." He frowns. "More unexpected than my call?" he asks. I nod. "Yeah" I admit. "I gotta work tonight, hence the rush." "No probs toots" he says putting his foot down. "Jonny will get you to work on time, no worries there." I smile. "I'll get me to work on time Jon" I say. "You've done enough for me today. I'll buy you a drink sometime to thank you." He grins. "Now you're speaking my language" he says, pulling into a parking space outside the apartment block. "If you need a ride let me know" he says as we walk up the stairs. "I'm not doing anything tonight. Oh, wait, I may not have the car, Colby, well, he has this thing, he might have the car..." "It's fine Jon" I say smiling as I take my keys out of my bag. "It's not far anyway, and you've done enough for me today. Thank you." I kiss him softly on the cheek before heading into my apartment and locking the door. "You're learning" he says before heading into his apartment. I chuckle and rush to the bathroom to attempt to get ready on time.

6.45 sees me rushing around trying to get everything in my bag. I glance at my reflection in the mirror and wipe away a stray eyelash before hurrying out of the door. My heels must have alerted Jon to my presence, his door opens straight away. "Hot damn toots" he groans as I lock my door. I smile. "Do I look ok?" I ask warily. His eyes wander up and down my body before settling back on my eyes. "Uh, fuck yeah" he says. I smile. The crop top and high waisted shorts are my favourite outfit, teamed with ankle high stiletto boots. "Good" I say kissing his cheek. "I gotta run Jon, but if you still want that drink later, I'll be at Pete's." He nods. "I know it" he says winking. "I'll catch you later toots, and be careful!" I nod as I run down the stairs. Five minutes later I'm running through the door to the bar. "Ria thank god!" Pete calls from behind the bar. "I nearly had a mutiny on my hands until I told them you were filling in! We need to talk later, ok?" I nod and head out back to throw my bag in a locker. When I get back out to the bar there's still no sign of Kristen. I groan as Pete hands me a coke. I take it gratefully and look across to the stage and dancefloor. The tables around the dancefloor are full. "Good crowd" Pete says, seeing where I'm looking. "Give them a show Ria, we all know you can do it." I smile. "It just seems weird without Jake" I admit, glancing over as the door opens. I sigh with relief as Kristen walks in. She waves at me but stays by the door. I frown and walk over to her. "I need you at the front Kris" I groan. "Moral support. It's packed in there!" She laughs and hugs me. "I met some more support for you on my way here" she says as the doors open again. Jon and Joe walk in and hug me quickly. "Toots!" Jon says grinning. "Now you can buy me that drink." I smile and call over to get Pete's attention. "Whatever these guys want is on me!" I yell. Pete gives me the thumbs up and puts two jacks and two beers on the bar. Jon laughs. "Know us too well Pete!" he yells before picking them up. I frown. "Its our local too, baby girl" Joe says smiling. I groan and nod as the crowd starts chanting "Ria! Ria! Ria!" Jon frowns. "The actual fuck are you doing here toots?" he asks looking at me. Kristen grins and leads them over to a table at the front, knocking the Reserved sign onto the floor. "Sit" she says. As the guys sit she hugs me. "Knock 'em dead Ria" she says in my ear. I nod and grab the microphone from Pete before making my way onto the stage.

"Hey guys" I say as they cheer. "So, tonight you're gonna have to excuse the rush job, no Jake as you can see, we kinda thought we had a night off, but Pete likes to book unreliable bands, and this is the result. But, I shall do my best to give you guys a good night as long as you keep the drinks coming, you know the drill!" They laugh as Joe and Jon look up at me. "Guys" I say. "We got some celebrity guests tonight, one of them has been my knight in shining armour today, so this first one is for him." The music starts and Kristen laughs as I start singing "Shut up and Drive" to Jon. He looks at Kristen, frowning. "You didn't say she was this good" he says. "In fact, you didn't say what she was doing! I thought she worked behind the bar!" Kristen laughs. "Ria sings, constantly" she groans. "Pete got her on karaoke here one night, and this is the result. The place will be packed out later, when word gets out what's happened." Joe's phone rings and he looks at Jon quickly. "It's Colby" he says. Kristen groans. "Answer it" she says wickedly. "Get him here. Let him see what he's missing out on." Joe shakes his head. "Kris" he says. "You don't get it. Colby is on a date tonight." Her face drops, then she smiles. "Get him here" she says again. Joe groans and goes outside to take the call.

The crowd know the drill too well, and pretty soon the Jack's are finding their target. "Ok, ok" I giggle as I sit on the edge of the stage. "So, interval time, cos Ria really needs to sober up a little for act two. So we're gonna go slow for one, that ok with you?" They cheer and I smile, glancing across the bar as the doors open. A woman walks in, clearly holding hands with someone behind her. She pulls him to her and I stare in shock as Colby openly kisses her in the middle of the bar. Kristen, Jon and Joe look over. Jon recovers and looks back at me first, shaking his head. I snap out of my trance and smile. "Anyway" I say. "Perfect song right here. I wanna see some serious slow dancing going on to this ok?" I start the music to Rihanna's Take a Bow, looking over at Colby as I start singing. His face is a picture when he sees me on the stage.

Oh, how about a round of applause, yeah

A standing ovation

Oh, yeah

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

You look so dumb right now

Standing outside my house

Trying to apologize

You're so ugly when you cry

Please, just cut it out

Don't tell me you're sorry 'cause you're not

Baby when I know you're only sorry you got caught

But you put on quite a show

Really had me going

But now it's time to go

Curtain's finally closing

That was quite a show

Very entertaining

But it's over now (but it's over now)

Go on and take a bow

Grab your clothes and get gone (get gone)

You better hurry up

Before the sprinklers come on (come on)

Talking' bout'

Girl, I love you, you're the one

This just looks like a re-run

Please, what else is on (on)

Oh, and the award for

The best lie goes to you (goes to you)

For making me believe (that you)

That you could be faithful to me

Let's hear your speech, oh

How about a round of applause

A standing ovation

But you put on quite a show

Really had me going

Now it's time to go

Curtain's finally closing

That was quite a show

Very entertaining

But it's over now (but it's over now)

Go on and take a bow

But it's over now

Jon grabs me as I walk off the stage. "You're something else, you know that?" he growls, hugging me tightly. "Do not rise to it, or let it upset you. You're too good for that. Rise above it Ria." I nod and kiss his cheek before pulling out of his grasp. "Bathroom Jon" I say. He nods and lets me go. "Jack?" he asks. I put my thumb up and head for the bathroom. Kristen barges through the door seconds later. "I am so sorry Ria!" she says hugging me. I frown at her. "What are you sorry for?" I ask. She gulps. "Joe told me Colby was on a date" she admits. "I told him to tell him to come here. This is my fault." I laugh. "How is this your fault?" I ask. "I'm not with Colby, he's free to date whoever he wants. This has just made the night more interesting, that's all. Don't stress over it Kris, it's all good!" She smiles and we walk back out into the bar.


	6. Chapter 6

Jon hands me my drink as soon as I get close enough. I thank him and start to walk to the table but he pulls on my arm to stop me. "What?" I ask as he pulls me close to him. "Just stopping you going over to the table" he says in my ear. I pull away from him and see Colby and his date have joined Joe and Kristen. I shrug. "Jon" I say. "I'm not with Colby. I was never with Colby. And I will never be with Colby. So can we quit this now? I'm a big girl now, I can handle my bad taste in men by myself." He nods slowly and walks over to the table with me. "Hey guys" I say pulling out a seat next to Colby's date. "Man I need to sit!" Colby smiles awkwardly. "You're really good" he says gesturing to the stage. I shrug and down my drink. "Pays the bills" I say. His date smiles as she looks me up and down. "I'm Emily" she says. "Nice to meet you..." Mariana" I say as Colby's face drops. Recognition sparks in her eyes and she looks at Colby quickly. I grin and shrug as he looks at me. "Ria!" Pete yells from the bar. I groan and look over at him. "I pay you to sing, not drink!" he yells. I nod and stand up slowly. "Need a hand toots?" Jon asks, standing with me. I smile. "Thanks Jon" I say hugging him. "But I'm good. Really. Just don't move from that spot, ok?" He smiles and nods as I kiss his cheek before getting back on the stage.

"So" I say into the microphone as Joe hands me another Jack. "My name is Mariana, but for this part of the show, I'm gonna be Cher, Gaga, Beyoncé, and anyone else I feel like being!" I smirk as I look down at the table. Colby's date is tearing him to pieces. Now I've stopped talking I can make out some of the conversation. "You bring me to a bar where your ex is singing!" she hisses. He shakes his head. "She's not my ex" he says. "It was one night..." "You chased her on twitter!" she counters. "She blew me out!" he hisses loudly. I grin as Emily realises he's right. Jon laughs loudly as I start singing Bad Romance. I wink at him and try not to laugh myself. By the end of the set, Joe and Kristen are looking really close, Colby has obviously sweet talked Emily around, and Jon, well, Jon is playing gooseberry. For the last song I decide to have a bit of fun and get everyone up dancing. "So guys" I say. "Last one for tonight, a certain Miss Taylor Swift." The music starts for "Shake it Off" and straight away the dancefloor is packed. I jump down into the floor with everyone and sing as I dance around with them. Then, my favourite bit of the song happens.

My ex-man brought his new girlfriend

She's like "Oh, my god!" but I'm just gonna shake.

And to the fella over there with the hella good hair

Won't you come on over, baby? We can shake, shake, shake

"The fella over there", well, he just happens to be Jon and I grab him and start dancing with him as I sing. He laughs in my ear as he wraps his arms around me from behind and pulls me against him. Colby is dancing with Emily but she doesn't look too happy. When the song finally finishes I give the microphone back to Pete and slump in a chair. "Ria everyone!" Pete calls over the microphone. "Don't forget, you can see her again Saturday night when she'll be joined by Jake, as long as he hasn't got anything better to do!" I laugh and nod. A few more Jacks later and I'm ready to go home. "I'm off, guys" I say standing up. "See you in work Kris." She nods and hugs me. I look at Jon and he groans. "Toots" he says wrapping his arms around me. "You leaving me? I'm gonna be a gooseberry again!" I laugh and look at the couples at the table just as Joe kisses Kristen. "Woah!" I say and look at Colby as Emily kisses him. "Oh jeez" I groan. Jon laughs. "Ya know toots" he slurs. "If you're feeling left out..." "Don't. Even. Say. It" I warn. He laughs and holds his hands up. "Friendzoned" he says laughing. I nod and kiss his cheek. "Night Jon" I whisper. "Thanks for today. I owe you." He shakes his head as I walk out of the bar and head home.

I hit the snooze button on the alarm way too many times the next morning, finally admitting defeat and heading for the shower. The hot water is therapeutic and I don't want to get out, but I know I'll miss my bus if I'm in there any longer. I get dressed quickly and drag a brush through my hair, deciding on minimal makeup. Five minutes later I'm in my lounge ready to go. I throw my phone into my bag and grab a key before heading out the door. I'm just locking the door when the door to the guys apartment opens. "You got spidey senses Jon?" I groan, turning to face him. He runs his hands through his hair awkwardly and looks behind him. I frown as a girl I recognise from Pete's last night steps onto the landing. She smirks at me before kissing him softly. "Call me" she whispers before heading down the stairs. Jon waits until she's out of sight then looks at me. "Yeah right" he smirks. "As if Jonny does call backs! One night only, right toots?" I smirk. "It's the way forward Jon" I say. "I gotta run. Bus to catch. Have a good day neighbour." He nods and watches as I run down the stairs.

Kristen is all smiles. "Please tell me you didn't" I groan as I slump into my chair. She smirks. "Didn't what, Ria?" she asks, feigning innocence. "Didn't go home alone? Ok, I didn't go home alone!" I groan as my phone rings. I frown. I don't recognise the number. "Mariana Lopez" I say as Kris frowns at me. "That name sounds so perfect on you" Colby drawls. "Colby?" I ask. Kristen's face drops. "How did you... Jon!" I groan. He laughs. "He's kinda not the best at keeping secrets" he says. "Once he let on that he had your number I just had to wait until he left his phone lying around. I just wanted to, well, apologise for last night." "Apologise for what exactly Colby?" I ask, losing patience with the conversation quickly. "Moving on with your life? Isn't that what I told you to do from the start?" "Uh, yeah" he says, sounding surprised. "I just, well, I thought you'd be pissed." "Pissed?" I ask. "Colby, why would I be pissed? We had one night. That's it. One night. One night does not equal a relationship. Hell, ask Jon!" "Did you, with Jon?" he asks quickly. I groan. "No Colby, I didn't" I sigh. "And if I had, or even if I do, it is none of your business, are we clear on that? Now, go call Emily, I've got work to do." I hang up and throw my phone across the desk. Kristen can't disguise the surprise on her face. "You and Jon?" she asks. I shake my head. "Good lord no" I say quickly. "Get that thought out of your head right now! Firmly in the friendzone, ok?" She salutes, laughing. "Loud and clear" she says picking up her pen and making a start on her files for the day.


	7. Chapter 7

I hardly see Colby for the rest of his week off, which suits me fine. Jon, however, is a different matter. I swear he's taken root on my sofa. It's Friday night, and Jon and I are having a movie night. "Keep an eye on the place for us toots" he asks suddenly. I look at him and frown. "Where are you guys headed now?" I ask. "Europe for two weeks" he groans. "I'm kinda gonna miss this though, ya know? This whole friendzone thing, it works for us, doesn't it?" I nod, grabbing another handful of popcorn out of the dish. "We should start a singles club" I laugh. "We're the gooseberries!" He laughs. "Yeah" he finally admits. "Think the couples are double dating tonight." I groan. "Who needs dates?" I ask looking at him. "We don't" he says smiling. "We got beer, and popcorn, and Point Break!" "Hell yes!" I say high fiving him. "You sharing that popcorn any time tonight?" he grumbles. I shake my head. "You want some" I tease. "Come get some!" He groans. "You're a Cena mark" he mumbles. "A what?" I ask frowning at him. He shakes his head, and pounces on me as I look at the tv. "Jon you clown!" I laugh as he tickles me. "I'm a clown?" he asks, laughing. "Share the popcorn Ria! Share it! Share it! Share..." Before either of us realise what's happening our hands are in each other's hair and the popcorn is on the floor, tipped everywhere as our mouths collide. "Woah!" I finally manage to splutter. He looks at me and we both laugh. "Definitely friendzone" we both say together. He lies on the sofa behind me. "Come hug me, friend" he smirks. I grin and lie in front of him as he wraps his arm around my stomach. I don't even make it halfway through the movie before I'm asleep.

A knock at the door startles Jon awake. "Hey" he says quietly as Colby walks in. "Looking cosy Jon" Colby says, staring at us both cuddling on the sofa. Jon shakes his head. "I've been friendzoned too Colbs" he says quietly. "Besides, we like it this way. No complications, no hurting each other, no scoring cheap points, and no awkwardness the next morning." Colby nods, sitting on the other sofa. "Can I admit something now?" he asks quietly. Jon looks at him and nods. "I think I've fucked up" Colby says looking at him. "Emily, she's just, well she's..." "She's not Ria" Jon says quietly. Colby nods slowly. "What am I gonna do?" he asks. "The only thing you can do" Jon says kissing my head softly. "Tell her. don't lead her on any more Colby. It's not fair on her. Or Ria." He shifts slowly without moving me and stands up. "Switch places" he says quickly. Colby frowns at him. "Now" Jon says firmly. Colby kicks his shoes off and slides onto the sofa behind me. He moans softly as he kisses my head. Jon smiles and grabs his shoes and keys. "You're welcome" he says smiling and heading next door. "God Ria you smell so good" Colby whispers. "My one regret is I didn't hold you like this before, that I let you go, I didn't try and make you stay. I'm sorry, baby." I stir and he grips me tightly, not letting me move. "Jon" I murmur, rolling over and cuddling into his chest. He catches his breath as my shirt I wear to bed rides up over my hip. "God Ria you're not making this easy" he moans. I open my eyes and look up at him sleepily. "Colby?" I say. He nods. "Jon, uh, he had to leave" he says quietly. "He didn't want to wake you..." I nod and stand up. "I, uh, should get to bed" I say quietly. He groans and sits up. "Dammit Ria stop shutting me out!" he practically yells. I look at him in shock. "You need to leave, Colby" I say firmly, walking to the door and opening it. He looks at me in defiance, shaking his head. "I'm going nowhere until you listen to me Ria" he says. "Fine" I say walking out and slamming the door behind me.

"Move over" I snarl, walking into Jon's room. He looks up from the movie he was watching and smiles. "Knew you couldn't resist me toots" he smirks, moving over and throwing the covers back. I shake my head and pull my shirt off before getting into the bed with him. "Fuck Ria!" he moans wrapping his arms around me. "You're not making this friends shit easy ya know?" "Poke me with anything and I chop it off Jon" I warn. He chuckles and covers himself quickly. "Nothing to see here" he says smiling. "So I've heard" I smirk. "Damn you're too quick with these comebacks" he groans. "You're like the female me..." "Minus the bed-hopping!" I laugh. "Don't insult me Ria" he warns. "Or?" I tease, rolling over and looking at him. "Or I'll send you home" he smirks. "You wouldn't" I say, sitting up quickly. "Try me" he says, his eyes wandering down my chest and back up. I smirk. "You really wouldn't" I say lying back down and cuddling back into him. He turns the tv off and puts his arms around me. "Damn you Lopez" he groans, kissing my head. "Jon, you're poking me" I warn. He groans. "I can't fucking help it" he growls. "You just gave me an eyeful of your tits! I'm a fucking male Ria! It's an automatic response!" I laugh and roll over, kissing his chest. "That ain't fucking helping either toots" he moans. "I'm just gonna head home" I say quietly, kissing his cheek. "The hell you are" he says grabbing me and pinning me on the bed. "You're here now, stay. Please?" My eyes have adjusted to the darkness now and I see the look in his eyes. Need. I nod slowly and pull him down to me. "Dammit Ria" he moans, kissing me softly. I smile and cuddle into him. "Hold me Jon" I say quietly. "Already on it toots" he says, pulling me close.

When I wake up the next morning the bed is empty. I stretch before grabbing my shirt and pulling it back on as I walk out into the lounge. "Uh, hey guys" I say as four sets of eyes are on me. Kristen's face is a picture. "Woah" she says finally. Jon smirks and walks over to me. "Morning toots" he says hugging me. "Sleep well?" "Better than I have in a while" I admit. He smiles. "Glad to hear it" he says looking over at Colby. "Uh, Jon, a word?" Joe says, nodding towards the kitchen. Jon groans and walks into the kitchen, closely followed by Joe and Colby. "Friends my ass" Kristen says looking at me. I nod. "Cross my heart" I say sitting down. "Nothing happened." "Wait a sec" she says holding a finger up. "You shared a bed with Jon, the walking boner, and nothing happened? Pull the other one Ria." I nod. "Nothing happened Kris" I say, pausing as the guys start yelling in the kitchen. "For fuck sake!" Jon yells. "Yes, she stayed the night. Yes, we slept in the same bed. Big fucking deal guys! We're the fucking single ones here, or are you two forgetting that? If we wanna spend the night together watching movies, we will. If she wants to stay here, or I wanna stay at hers, then we'll do that too. If we wanna have amazing, mind blowing, screaming each other's names out sex, then we fucking will! Are you getting the message here? We're single, we answer to nobody! Especially not you two loved up morons!" He storms through the lounge and heads into his room, slamming the door behind him. "Well" I say standing up as Joe and Colby walk sheepishly back into the room. "That went well, huh guys?" I shake my head at them and head for Jon's room.

"Hey" he says softly as I walk in. "Sorry you had to hear that." I shake my head and sit next to him on the bed, taking one of his hands in mine. "Sorry I put you in the position that you had to do it" I say looking at him. "Maybe it's best if I stay away for a while. Give this a chance to calm down." He shakes his head. "It's done now toots" he says, putting his head on my shoulder. "Besides, we're away for the next two weeks. I promise you, things will be good when we get back, ok?" I nod. "I should head home" I say kissing his head. "If memory serves me correct, I have a lounge floor full of popcorn to clean." He smirks. "Indeed you do" he says. "I'll come say bye before we leave ok?" I nod and kiss him before heading back to my apartment. I don't say anything as I walk through the lounge past the guys and Kris. As soon as I'm in my apartment I slam the door and slump on the sofa staring into space.


	8. Chapter 8

I notice it when I'm cleaning. Jake obviously let himself in while I was out. "Ria" I read. "Pete's wants us to go more rock, try some of these out and let me know what you think." I pick up the cd of backing tracks and put it on, smiling when I recognise them straight away. "Evanescence baby" I say to myself. I leave the cd on and sing along as I get dressed, pulling on shorts and a boob tube before putting my hair in a messy bun. I've cleaned up the popcorn and I'm halfway through belting out "My Immortal" when I feel someone watching me. "I did knock" Jon says, holding his hands up. I smile and turn the stereo down. "Sorry" I say, pointing at the sofa. "Rehearsing. Apparently Pete wants more rock type songs. Jake dropped a cd off." He nods as he sits. "Toots" he says. "That was fucking awesome. You need to do that one. Won't be a dry eye in the place, you nearly got me in tears just practicing." I frown as I look at him. He nods. "Cross my heart" he says. I smile. "Fucking sap" I say laughing. "Tell anyone and I'll deny it" he warns. I pretend to zip my mouth shut and he laughs. "So we're leaving in ten" he says quietly. I nod. "This is gonna be a long two weeks Jon" I sigh. He nods. "I know toots" he says hugging me. "Fuck, we ain't even in a relationship and I'm gonna miss you!" I laugh. "Bet I don't sleep as good as I did last night" I say. He shakes his head. "You should be honoured" he says smirking. "Really?" I ask. "Why?" "You" he says. "Are the only female to actually sleep in my bed." "That doesn't make me feel honoured Jon" I groan. "It makes me feel like I have three heads! Jeez, I'm not even good enough for the walking boner!" "The what?" he splutters. I groan. "Kristen's words, not mine" I say. "She found it hard to believe that we just slept last night, given your history." He smirks and nods. "Like I said toots" he says standing up and kissing my head. "You're special. I'll see you in two weeks." I nod and smile as he goes back to his apartment.

When I hear them leave I step out onto the landing. "Bye Ria" Joe says hugging me. I smile. "Bye love god" I say kissing his cheek. Colby is next. "Uh, bye Ria" he says quietly. I nod as he hugs me quickly. "Bye Colby" I say. He nods and walks down the stairs, leaving me with Jon. "Gimme some love toots" he says pulling me to him. I laugh as he kisses my cheek. "See you in two weeks" he says. "Don't miss me too much." "I'll try" I say quietly. He looks down at me. "Don't Ria" he warns. "I ain't going forever doll!" "Don't what?" I frown, looking up at him. "Don't act like I'm never coming back" he says smirking. "Get that cute ass back in there and nail those songs. I expect them to be perfect when I get back!" I laugh and push him away. "See you in two weeks Jon" I say, stepping into my apartment. He nods and waves as he walks down the stairs to Joe and Colby. I wait until I hear the car drive off before closing my door. It's weird. Knowing they've left has made the whole block seem deserted, not just their apartment. I have the whole floor to myself again, and it's not as if I'm not used to it, but now, knowing my neighbours, and being friends with them, well, these next two weeks are gonna drag.

About an hour after the guys left Kristen turns up. "Hey" she says slumping on my sofa. I smile at her. "How you doing?" I ask. She shrugs. "I'm good" she says finally. I look at her and raise an eyebrow. "Who the fuck are you trying to kid?" I ask. She groans. "Ok, ok" she says. "This totally sucks. What am I meant to do for two weeks?" "Work" I say smiling. "And come to the bar with me." She smiles. "Sounds like a plan" she says spying the note from Jake. "New songs?" she asks looking at me. I nod. "More rock needed apparently" I say. She smiles. "Nailed them yet?" she asks. I groan and shake my head. "I don't think so" I admit. "Jon has given me the two weeks to perfect them and get them in the act, I think it's gonna take longer." "Well" she says going to the stereo and starting the cd. "You ain't got longer, so get practising toots!" I smile, I knew she'd push me and it's what I needed. I notice her playing with her phone when I'm halfway through "My Immortal" again but think nothing of it. I stop the cd when the song ends and look at her. She looks back guiltily. "What have you done?" I ask, frowning at her. She shakes her head and turns her phone around. "Uh, Jon" I say, looking at the picture in the screen. He smiles. "Nailed it toots" he says smirking at me. "Knew you could. Knock 'em dead." I nod and smile and Kristen turns the phone back around. "I better go Joe" she says smiling at the phone. "Ok baby girl" he says quietly. "I miss you already. I'll speak to you later ok?" She nods and ends the call before putting her phone on the coffee table. "Fucking sneak" I say. She shrugs. "Joe called me" she says innocently. "Jon heard you, he knew what you were singing from earlier and stole he phone from Joe. Now, spill it Lopez." "Spill what?" I ask sitting on the sofa opposite her. "You and Jon" she says simply. "The fuck is going on there?" "Nothing Kris" I groan. "I'm sick of going over this all the time. Jon and I are just friends. We're the odd ones out, the gooseberries, was kinda obvious we'd bond over being the rejects of the group." She shakes her head. "You're not a reject Ria" she warns. "Colby chose you. He still would, in a heartbeat, if you'd let the poor fucker in..." "He has Emily" I say. "And you have Jon" she says triumphantly. I groan. She's not going to give up on this one.

I'm right about the two weeks dragging. Everytime someone comes up the stairs I'm checking to see if it's them. It's strange how much I've come to depend on them being there, just next door, considering they were only home for a week. Finally I get the text I've been waiting for. "Get the party started toots" I read. "I'm on my way home! See you tonight." I groan. Tonight we have a gig. I won't be home when he gets home. This bothers me way more than I ever thought it would. "Pete's" I text back. I don't wait for a reply before rushing into the shower. Afterwards I straighten my hair and leave it loose so it's hanging down my back, nearly reaching my waist. I groan when I see the clothes Jake has decided I'm wearing tonight. More rock, yeah right. Leather mini skirt, a cream lace crop top and thigh high stiletto boots. I take my time over my makeup, making sure everything is perfect. I make it to Pete's with five minutes to spare.

"Fuck sake Ria!" Jake snarls at me. "I was starting to think you weren't coming!" "Sorry!" I say looking at him. "Lost track of time." He nods. "Dump your shit and get ready" he says nastily. "I'll meet you onstage." I nod and rush out the back to put my bag in a locker. I hear my phone beep for a text message but I don't want to piss Jake off even more by reading it so I ignore it and run back out to him. He hands me a microphone as soon as I get onstage. "Ria! Ria! Ria!" the crowd yell. Jake really isn't a fan favourite and he knows it, I think that's why he's always in such a mood. We start the usual way, duet, Meatloaf and Cher, dead ringer for love. It's a crowd pleaser and soon the dancefloor is crowded. They stay on their feet for the whole of the first half. "Wow!" I say before taking a sip of water. "You guys have some serious energy tonight! Ok, so we're gonna slow down for one now before the break. Who's up for a bit of Dusty?" They cheer so Jake starts the music for "Son of a Preacher Man" then heads to the bar as I sing, sat on the edge of the stage. I look around as I sing, amazed at how full the bar is. I can't even see Jake. I jump off the stage when I'm done as Pete puts the music from the jukebox on. I head out to the locker and grab my phone to check the text. "Fuck sake!" I yell throwing my phone back in the locker and slamming it. "Problem?" Jenna, the barmaid, asks walking in. I groan. "Forgot to charge my phone" I say. "Its totally dead. It's ok, I'll check it when I get home." She nods. "Sounding good tonight" she says smiling. "Pete says you're going more rock?" I nod. "Only for one or two" I say. "We need to gauge how well it goes before doing anymore." "Oh come on Ria" she says laughing as she hooks her arm through mine. "You could sing nursery rhymes and they'd lap it up!" I laugh as we walk back into the bar. "About time" Jake growls grabbing my arm. I look up at him in shock. "Get your fucking hands off me" I warn. He lets me go quickly. "Fuck Ria, I'm sorry" he says quickly. "I'm not Kayla" I snap. "I won't take your shit Jake. Pull one more stunt like that and see what happens, but I guarantee you it won't be pretty." He nods and looks at the floor. "Time for us to get back up there" he says quietly.


	9. Chapter 9

"Oh na na" I sing. "What's my name?" "Mariana" the crowd sing back. I smile. "What's my name?" I sing again. "Mariana" they sing back. They're regulars alright, they know the routine. Jake smiles and starts being Drake to my Rihanna for "What's my name?" I jump off the stage and start dancing with a group of the guys who are always there as I sing. Jake grins down at me and I smile up at him. We both know we've got them eating out of our hands. "Ok ok!" I shout when we finish. "So, something a bit different for you guys now. A bit of Evanescence!" They pop like crazy. I look at Jake and he smiles as he starts the backing track for "Call me when you're sober". I wasn't expecting this one but I smile and nod. I notice Kristen as I start the first chorus.

Don't cry to me.

If you loved me,

You would be here with me.

You want me,

Come find me.

Make up your mind.

She smirks up at me and I smile at her, waving as I sing. She waves back then nods towards the bar. I nod, thinking she's asking if I want a drink. I turn my back on her and carry on singing with Jake. I'm glad he chose this one, I love it. He smiles at me then nods down to the front of the stage. I turn around and see Kristen stood there with a drink. I take it from her and put it on the table until I finish singing. "I love that song" I confess as I wait for Jake to get the next one ready. It's his turn to sing now. "Ok" he says taking the microphone from me. "My turn, so I guess we need to chill for one or two, how about a bit of Daughtry?" He starts singing "What about now?" and I melt. I love it when he sings. I sit on the speaker and sing along with him. Pete gets my attention and starts doing the wind down signal. I nod to let him know I've seen it, it's time to start the slower songs now. I smile as Jake hands me the microphone back. "Wind down time guys" I groan. The crowd groans too. "Think we can manage two more, if you're really good" I tease. They cheer and I smile. "But" I say. "Wind down time means just that, so now we're gonna go slow. Real slow." I look at Jake in surprise when he starts the music for "My Immortal". "Request" he mouths. I frown but nod, turning back to the crowd, and singing my heart out.

I'm so tired of being here

Suppressed by all my childish fears

And if you have to leave

I wish that you would just leave

'Cause your presence still lingers here

And it won't leave me alone

These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just too much that time cannot erase

When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears

When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears

And I held your hand through all of these years

But you still have all of me

You used to captivate me by your resonating light

Now I'm bound by the life you left behind

Your face—it haunts my once pleasant dreams

Your voice—it chased away all the sanity in me

These wounds won't seem to heal

This pain is just too real

There's just too much that time cannot erase

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone

But though you're still with me

I've been alone all along

When I look up, Jon is stood in front of the stage, glass in hand and tears rolling down his cheeks. "I warned you" he mouths. I nod and jump down, hugging him tightly. God, I've missed him so much. Too much. I kiss his cheek and get back up onto the stage to finish the set. "Uh, right" I say, looking at Jake to help me out while I get over the shock of Jon being there. He smiles. "A Mariana classic to close the show I think" he says, looking pointedly at Jon. I frown then groan as he starts the music. Adele. Someone like you. I shake my head at him as he smiles. "Do it" he mouths. I take a deep breath and look around, groaning inwardly when I see Colby and Emily at the bar with Kristen and Joe. Jon is still stood at the front of the stage, so I crouch down until our heads are level and sing the song to him.

I heard that you're settled down

That you found a girl and you're married now.

I heard that your dreams came true.

Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you.

Old friend, why are you so shy?

Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light.

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited

But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.

I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded

That for me it isn't over.

Never mind, I'll find someone like you

I wish nothing but the best for you too

Don't forget me, I beg

I'll remember you said,

"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,

Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead"

You know how the time flies

Only yesterday was the time of our lives

We were born and raised

In a summer haze

Bound by the surprise of our glory days

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited

But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it.

I'd hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded

That for me it isn't over.

Never mind, I'll find someone like you

I wish nothing but the best for you too

Don't forget me, I beg

I'll remember you said,

"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead."

Nothing compares

No worries or cares

Regrets and mistakes

They are memories made.

Who would have known how bittersweet this would taste?

Never mind, I'll find someone like you

I wish nothing but the best for you too

Don't forget me, I beg

I'll remember you said,

"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead".

Never mind, I'll find someone like you

I wish nothing but the best for you too

Don't forget me, I beg

I'll remember you said,

"Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead,

Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead."

Jon holds his hand out and I jump off the stage. "You're amazing" he says in my ear as he hugs me tightly. I smile and hand the microphone to Jake. "I missed you Jon" I blurt suddenly. He looks at me and smirks. "That's natural" he says. "But I missed you too toots. I've, uh, kinda hardly slept..." "Damn groupies" I laugh. He shakes his head. "Nothing like that, I swear" he says. "I, uh, think we need to talk, ok?" I frown as I look at him. "Jon, I..." I start. He shakes his head and puts a finger on my lips. "Don't" he warns. "Do not even fucking dare to friendzone me Ria, I mean it. This isn't about that, ok?" I nod slowly. "I need to see Pete" I say, pulling out of his grasp. Before he can say anything I've run out to the back room and slammed the door behind me.


	10. Chapter 10

When I come back out, the bar is practically empty. "Night Ria!" Jake yells. I snap out of my trance and look over at him, waving as he walks out the door. Jon is perched on a stool at the end of the bar, drinking a beer and talking to Jenna. I watch them talk, fighting down the wave of jealousy that hits as she openly flirts with him. He smirks and shakes his head, catching sight of me as he looks away from her. He sighs and she looks over quickly. She makes a show of wiping the bar down and moves away from him quickly. He pats the stool next to him and I walk over slowly. I feel someone staring at me and look over to one of the booths. Colby and Emily are sat with Kristen and Joe. Emily is openly glaring at me. I shake my head and carry on walking to Jon. He nods at Pete and suddenly two glasses of Jack are on the bar. "Figured you'd need one" Jon says looking at me. I nod, not able to look at him. "Ria" he groans. "Don't shut me out, please, I can't deal with that." I shake my head and slide off the stool. "I need to go" I say, grabbing my bag and running out of the bar.

My door is locked and my apartment is in darkness. It doesn't stop him banging hell out of my front door. I lie on the sofa, tears rolling down my face as I listen to him get more and more frustrated. "Dammit Ria!" he yells, kicking the door for good measure before going into his apartment and slamming the door behind him. I get up and pull on a pair of jeans and an oversized jumper. I head back into the lounge and put my converse on before grabbing a key and quietly leaving the apartment. I can hear him yelling on the phone as I run down the stairs. "There's no answer Kris!" he yells. "It's all in darkness, where the fuck would she go?" I get onto the street and run straight for the beach. Thinking spot. Crying spot. Talking to him spot.

"Damn you Rico!" I sob, sitting on the sand and hugging my knees. "Why the fuck can't i do it? Why the fuck can't I move on from you? What makes you so special? You fucking left me here to deal with this all alone, I should fucking hate you!" "But you don't" Kris says softly, appearing next to me. I look at her and she groans. "Fuck sake Ria" she says hugging me. "Talk about it, talk to me, to anyone, please?" I shake my head, wiping the tears away. "I can't Kris" I say softly. She shakes her head and stands up. "Then don't expect to be able to get over it" she warns. "You keep bottling it in, it's gonna eat you and you're gonna end up the same way as him." I watch in surprise as she walks back up the beach. I shake my head and turn back to the sea, watching the waves break. I don't know how long I'm sat there staring. I lose all track of time until I feel a blanket being put around my shoulders. "You're freezing toots" he says quietly. I feel the sand shift as he sits next to me, pulling me towards him and hugging me tightly as he wraps the blanket around us both. "You must be tired" I say quietly. "You should go get some sleep Jon." He shakes his head. "We're friends, right?" he asks. I nod. "Then I'm here" he says. "I don't care how long I'm here for, but I'm here. It's what friends do." I look up at him and I burst into tears again. "How did I get so lucky to have a friend like you Jon?" I sob. He shakes his head. "I'm just that fucking awesome toots" he says kissing my head. "But don't tell everyone or they'll all be wanting a bit of me." I smile. "Our little secret" I say kissing his cheek. "Speaking of secrets" he says. "You gotta stop keeping things from me Ria. Friends, right?" I sigh. "There are some things even you can't make right Jon" I say quietly. He nods. "I know" he says, lying back and pulling me with him. I roll onto my side and put my head on his chest. "Would it help if I told you I already know?" he asks suddenly. I freeze. "How?" I ask quietly. "Kristen" he says. "Before you go bite her head off, she told me because she's worried about you Ria. We all are. Even Colby. He thinks this is all his fault. But Kris told me because of how we are. You do know they're calling us the gruesome twosome, right?" I laugh. "We are kinda always together" I say. He nods, kissing my head. "He fucking died Jon" I say suddenly. "I loved him so fucking much, and he fucking died! Left me all alone, he can't have loved me as much as he said he did, he left me." "Toots" he says holding me tightly. "Life ain't all rainbows and butterflies, princess. Ya gotta suck it up and roll with the punches, right? I know it's hard, especially when it's something you didn't see coming. But life is a test, right?" I nod. "A test I'm flunking miserably" I groan. "I'm scared, Jon." He looks down at me. "Scared?" he asks. I nod. "Fucking terrified actually" I say. "I can't let anyone get close, not again, not if they're just gonna leave me like he did. I'm not letting myself fall that hard again." He nods. "Is that why, as soon as you found out what Colby did, you backed off?" he asks. I nod. "Travelling" I say. "Planes, cars, buses, something going wrong in the ring. Saying goodbye, and I love you, and never coming home, I can't deal with it again Jon." "So that's why you looked at me like I was never coming back" he says quietly. I nod. "It's my way of dealing with it" I say. "That way I won't get hurt if you don't." "Ria" he groans. "I promise you, I will always, always, come back." "Don't make promises you can't keep, Jon" I warn. He nods, kissing my head. "You'll see" he says softly. "Come on. We can't sleep on the beach. Lets go home." I nod and sit up as he gets up. He holds his hand out and I take it, smiling when he pulls me up. He grabs the blanket and folds it before putting his arm around me and leading me back to the apartment.

"Your bed or mine?" he asks as we walk up the stairs. "Mine" I say quietly. He nods and takes the key from me. He unlocks the door and opens it, holding it open for me to go in. "Night Ria" he says softly. I look at him quickly. "Stay with me?" I ask. He moans softly and shuts the door, locking it quickly before walking over to me. "Come on" he says softly, holding his hand out. I take it and lead him to my room. "Bathroom" he says kissing my head. I nod and wait until he's out of the room before quickly stripping out of my clothes. I've just got into bed in just my underwear when he comes back. "Uh, what do you want me to wear?" he asks awkwardly. "Whatever you're comfortable in" I say quietly. "I sleep naked Ria" he warns. I nod. "I know, Jon" I say. "It's fine. If that's how you're comfortable, I'm good with that." He nods and turns the light off as he sits on the bed. I hear his jeans hit the floor, and the swoosh of material that tells me his shirt has joined them. I feel the blanket get pulled back, and suddenly his arms are around me. "I'm here" he whispers. "I'm going nowhere. I'm here, ok?" I nod as he kisses my head. "I could get used to this" I say quietly. He chuckles. "Me too, toots, me too" he says. It's not long until we're both asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

I wake up in a cold sweat about an hour later. "Relax Ria" Jon whispers soothingly from behind me. I shake my head and get out of bed. "Where...?" he starts. "Bathroom" I say quickly running out of the bedroom. As soon as I'm in the bathroom I let the tears fall. That dream was way too real. I splash cold water on my face and head back to the bedroom. Even with the light off I can see Jon is sat up in the bed. "You ok?" he asks as I get back in. I nod and wait for him to lie back down before cuddling into him, my head on his chest. Then it happens. I look up at him as he attempts to kiss my head. Our lips touch, and it's like an electric shock. I pull back quickly as he apologises. "Damn Ria, I'm sorry" he moans. I shake my head. "Don't apologise Jon" I say. "Just, uh, well, just do it again. Please." He moans and pulls me back down to him, kissing me softly. Slow, tentative kisses, checking that I'm not going to run before he holds me tightly. I moan, and as soon as my mouth his open his tongue invades, exploring, battling with my own tongue, driving me crazy. "Jon" I moan, pulling away. "Fuck Ria!" he groans, running his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, ok!" I shake my head. "Don't stop" I beg. "Make me let you in, Jon. Make me believe you're not leaving. Help me." "Oh fuck" he moans, rolling over until he's lying on top of me. "Ria, I'm going nowhere, ok? I will stay with you as long as you need me to." I nod and he hugs me. "Go back to sleep" he says kissing me softly. "I'll be here when you wake, I promise." I nod and cuddle into him as he rolls back off me.

He keeps his word. He's cuddled into me when I wake up. I frown, wondering why I woke. The bang at the door reminds me. I groan and grab a shirt from the floor, pulling it on as I hurry to the door. "Nice, Ria" Colby says. "Rub my face in it, why don't you?" I frown then look down at my shirt. "Fuck" I groan, sitting on the sofa. It's not my shirt, it's Jon's. "I'm guessing you did just that" Colby says harshly, sitting opposite me. "Well you guess fucking wrong Colby" I yell. He looks at me quickly. "Babe have you seen my shirt?" Jon asks walking out of the bedroom. I look over at him and smile. He's wearing just his boxers and he looks amazing. "Uh I kinda have it on" I say watching as he stretches. He looks at me and chuckles. "Suits you toots" he says walking over and kissing my head. Colby watches us suspiciously. "Spit it out Lopez" Jon says, sitting next to me and putting his hand on my knee. "What?" Colby and I say together. Jon groans. "Damn fucking common surname" he says. "Colby, what's wrong?" "Colby thinks we had sex" I say straight away. Jon looks at me, then at Colby, then laughs. "She's walking just fine, right Colby?" he asks. Colby frowns but nods. "There ya go then" Jon says triumphantly. "Proof enough that we haven't. Not that we have to explain anything to you. I mean, do we ask if you and Emily have done the deed yet?" Colby shakes his head quickly. "Exactly" Jon says. "So butt out of our lives, ok? I stayed with a friend last night, because a friend needed me. That's all you need to know." I look at Jon and he winks. "Come here toots" he says pulling me to him. "I missed you when you got up." I smirk up at him. "Two seconds, Jon" I say laughing. "Two seconds too long" he says kissing my head. I laugh and hug him tightly. "I'm gonna go put my own clothes on" I say, standing up. Jon laughs and slaps my ass as I walk away. I close the door as I get in the bedroom but stand behind it, listening to them talk.

"Friends my fucking ass" Colby growls. Jon groans. "Look Colby" he says. "You had your chance, you met Emily. That's not our fault. Me and Ria, well, there is no me and Ria, just like there's no you and Ria. We really are just friends, no matter what you choose to believe. She's got a lot going on at the moment, and if I can help her through it I will. She's my friend, that's what friends do." Colby shakes his head. "I saw your face at Pete's last night Jon" he says. "I watched you crumble when she sang. There's more to it than that." "Leave it" Jon warns. "Don't even go there. We are friends. Nothing more." "You keep telling yourself that Jon" Colby laughs. "You two must be the only ones who can't see it. There's more than friendship there. You're just in denial. You moped about the whole two weeks on tour. Even the fans picked up on it. Just admit it. The great player Jon Good has fallen for someone who doesn't want anything from him." "I said fucking leave it Colby" Jon growls. Colby laughs again. "Anyway" he says. "Joe said to tell you we're leaving soon for the house show." Jon groans, looking back at the bedroom. "You haven't told her, have you?" Colby suddenly says. Jon shakes his head. "She, uh, kinda doesn't deal well with goodbyes" he says. "So bring her" Colby says. "Ah man" Jon groans. "It ain't that fucking easy!" I get dressed quickly and brush my hair before walking out to them. "Here babe" I say handing Jon his shirt. He grins. "You trying to tell me to put my body away?" he teases. I smirk. "Hell no" I say kissing his head. "If I had my way I'd keep you here as naked as you were last night." Colby's face is a picture. "Uh toots" Jon says quickly. "I, uh, got a show tonight. You wanna come?" I look at him and shake my head slowly. "I can't" I say quietly. "I promised Pete I'd work behind the bar tonight. Jenna is away." Jon winces at her name, and the jealous bug inside me does a little victory dance. "No" he says quickly. "I'll sort it with Pete. You're coming. No arguing Ria. Get showered, dressed, beautiful, and I'll meet you outside in an hour." I watch in shock as he grabs Colby and drags him out, slamming the door behind them. "3, 2, 1" I say, smiling as Jon runs back in, kissing me as he runs into the bedroom, coming back out with his jeans. "Oops" he says kissing me again before running back out. I laugh and lock the door behind him before heading for the bathroom to get ready.


	12. Chapter 12

"Someone wanna explain why I'm the only girl here?" I ask. Jon squeezes my hand tightly, making me look at him. "It doesn't matter why" he says softly. "All that matters is that you're here." I nod and look towards the front of the car again. Joe is driving, Colby in the passenger seat, Jon and I have the back to ourselves. Not that you'd know it. I'm practically sat on his lap. He hasn't let my hand go since I got in the car. "Ria" Joe says softly. "You do know you can talk to us, right? Any of us. Not just Jon." I nod. "Thanks Joe" I say, smiling as he looks at me in the rear view mirror. "I, uh, well, I know why Jon made me come tonight, and I guess it's time I let you guys in on it too." "He told me you don't deal well with goodbyes" Colby says quietly. I look at him and nod. "You could say that" I say. "Guys, I was engaged. His name was Rico, and I was totally in love with the guy. Head over heels. We'd been engaged for about a year, just moved into our own place. Rico had a call, he had to run an errand for his boss. He kissed me goodbye, told me he loved me and left. The next person through my door that day was a policeman. Rico had stopped in town at a red light. A guy in a pickup was too busy texting while driving and didn't see the red light, he shunted Rico's car out into the middle of a crossroads. Rico never stood a chance. A bus hit him side on, he was killed instantly." "Fuck Ria!" Joe groans. "I am so sorry baby girl!" "I'm good, Joe" I say quietly. "Well, I'm getting there. But yeah, goodbyes kinda suck. Especially when there's travelling involved." "So" Colby says, finally catching on. "When you found out I was a wrestler..." I nod, knowing where he's going. "There's too much travelling Colby" I whisper. "Too many goodbyes, too many opportunities for you to not come back..." "Jesus Ria I'm not Rico!" he yells. I stare at him. "I never said you were, Colby!" I yell back. "None of us know what's around the corner, what idiot isn't paying attention to the road, none of it, so don't you fucking dare lecture me!" "So you couldn't get over it for me, but you can for wonder boy back there?" Colby says. I shake my head. "Who the fuck said I'm over it Colby?" I ask. "Do I fucking look over it? If I was over it, would I be here? Ya know what, Joe, let me out." "Ria no" Jon warns. I pull my hand out of his. "Stop the car Joe" I say again. He groans and pulls onto the side of the road. "Fuck you Colby" I say and get out of the car, slamming the door behind me.

I've barely taken a few steps back along the road when my arm is grabbed and I'm pulled against someone. "Toots" Jon warns. "Take another step and I'm gonna let you carry on walking." I push him away and defiantly walk along the road. He lets me go for a few more steps then I hear him groan and I'm grabbed again. "Ok I lied" he says. "Ain't no way you're walking back home. Not now. Not now we've got this far Ria. Colby has his head up his ass, so what? Ignore him. It's what I've learnt to do. Don't walk away from me Ria, I'm begging you. And Jonny doesn't do begging. So make a note of this date, and I want an anniversary card next year. Please Ria, do not leave me like this." I look up at him and he moans, wiping the tears from my face. "Don't cry" he whispers. "You're too bea... Just don't cry, please, for me? Come get back in the car, come have fun at the arena, meet the other guys. They, uh, kinda know all about you..." I frown at him and he runs his hand through his hair. "I've got a confession" he says. "I was a total prick in Europe. Really. The whole time we were away. Apparently I got so drunk, and blurted your name a few times. You're kinda famous now. Now they wanna meet you." I shake my head. "I need to go home Jon" I whisper. "We will babe" he says hugging me and kissing my head. "I promise you, we will, and I will hold you for as long as you need me to, until those fucking demons that haunt you at night leave you the fuck alone." I look up at him quickly. He nods. "I know when someone's having a nightmare Ria" he whispers. "I ain't stupid toots." I nod. "I know you're not Jon" I say. "Come on, you're gonna be late." I hold his hand and he leads me back to the car.

"Fucking apologise Colby" Joe snarls as I get back in. "I'm sorry Mariana" Colby says sarcastically. "Can you ever forgive me for not being as loveable as Jon? For not meaning as much to you as he does?" "Go fuck yourself Colby" I say as Jon gets in behind me. "The difference between you and Jon is obvious. He isn't pushing me into anything. He isn't posting pictures of me on twitter and naming me as his girl. We are friends. Get the fuck over it." Jon grins. "Yeah" he says holding my hand again. "What she said. Now Anoa'i, get driving before we get fired!" Joe laughs and starts the car again. Jon pulls me to him and I rest my head on his chest. Soon the guys are talking and I fall asleep to the sound of their voices.

Jon wakes me when we arrive at the arena. "Ria" he whispers, kissing my head. "Time to wake up, sleepy." I smile and look up at him. "Morning" he whispers, kissing me softly. Joe clears his throat and I laugh. "You, uh, gonna keep holding her hand out there?" he asks, looking at Jon then out to the crowds of people behind the barriers. Jon groans and looks at me. I smile. "Don't even think about it" I say. "Why would I want to be seen holding your hand in public?" He laughs and kisses my head before opening the door. The guys all grab their bags and we head into the arena. I walk between Joe and Colby as Jon walks ahead. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I frown as I take it out. "Oh fuck" I groan looking at Colby. He frowns. "What's wrong?" he asks as Jon holds the door open for us. "We got a problem Colby" I say quietly. He waits until the door is closed before taking the phone from me. "Fuck" he says simply. I nod. "What?" Jon asks. I sigh. "Fans got a picture of me walking in with Colby" I say. "It's all over twitter." Colby's phone rings and he groans. "Emily" he says simply.


	13. Chapter 13

"I know babe" Colby groans for the thousandth time. "I know how it looks, and believe me I'm not happy about it either. And I get that you're pissed because she's here and you're not. But her and Jon are working through some shit at the moment and he didn't want to leave her behind. No, they're not dating, well, so they say. I don't know Em, ok? Look, I have to go, we have to get changed. I'll call you later. I love you too." He hangs up and looks at us. "Close call guys" he says, frowning as we all stare at him. "What?" he yells. "L bomb?" Joe asks. I nod. "I heard it" I say, looking at Jon. "Oh I heard it too" he says as we all look back at Colby. "So what?" he shrugs. Joe's phone rings and he smiles. "Hey baby girl" he says. "Yeah, we saw it, Emily has just tore Colby a new asshole for it. She's with you? Yeah he dropped it too, kinda funny really. What, now? Uh, I kinda got all eyes on me, if you know what I mean? Ah fuck it, love you baby girl." We all laugh and head into the locker room, leaving Joe in the corridor talking to Kristen.

I sit on the sofa while they all get changed. Jon is ready first and comes to sit next to me. "You're quiet" he says, holding my hand. I nod. "It's kinda overwhelming being here" I say, looking around. "I mean, you guys, and the guys out there, you're all somebody's hero out there. They paid to see you, you guys are famous, and I have no idea who you are. I just know that you're all my friends, and that you're all amazing guys." "Awwww shucks baby girl" Joe says smiling. "By the end of tonight you're gonna be glad you didn't know us before. We're kinda jerks out there." I shake my head. "No way" I say smiling. "You guys? Jerks? I don't believe it for a second." They laugh as there's a knock on the door. Colby opens it and groans. "Rumour has it you're hiding a girl in here" a voice says. Colby laughs and opens the door wider. "Hey Orton" Jon says laughing. "For once, a rumour you can believe!" The guy looks over and smiles. "Hi" he says. "I'm Randy Orton. You may have heard of me." I shake my head. "Nope" I say shrugging. "Sorry." His face drops and the guys laugh. "Doesn't watch wrestling Randal" Joe says wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "Hi Randy" I say holding my hand out. "I'm Mariana. Nice to meet you." He shakes my hand and looks straight at Jon. "The Mariana?" he asks. Jon nods sheepishly. Randy grins. "Nice to finally meet you too" he says. "The whole roster knows all about you." I groan. "Jon!" I moan. "Chinese whispers babe" he says quietly. "The whole roster wasn't in the bar every night, so they only know what they've been told. Ignore it, he's teasing you." Randy smirks. "Five minutes guys!" someone yells out in the corridor. The guys jump to their feet quickly. I watch as Joe and Colby wet their hair before heading out into the corridor. "Ria" Jon says softly. I look at him and he smiles. "We've got a meeting now, you wanna come? Get this whole meet the roster thing out of the way?" I groan and nod. He helps me up and smiles as I start pulling my top down and my jeans up. "Relax toots" he says kissing my head and grabbing my hand. We walk out into the corridor and Joe smiles at us. Colby looks at our hands and I quickly let Jon's go. He looks hurt for a second but then shrugs it off and walks next to me as we head to the meeting.

The second we come into everyone's view I feel what seems like a thousand pairs of eyes burn into me. Jon nods at everyone before holding my arm and steering me to a seat at the back. The girls watch as I walk, not looking away until I'm sat on Jon's lap. "Ignore it" he whispers in my ear. "It's pretty hard..." I start. "It's a reflex" he smirks. "Give it a second. It'll go back down." I groan and slap him playfully, wincing as everyone turns around to watch us again. He chuckles and hugs me, pulling my head against his neck. The girls all look at each other, shaking their heads before turning their attention to the guy at the front of the room. "Evening everyone" he says. "Ok, let's make this short and sweet. You know what you gotta do tonight, go out there and do it. But do it well. You never know who might be watching." Everyone starts to stand and Jon yells out. "Hold on guys" he says, standing up and pulling me with him. "May as well hit everyone with this at the same time. This is Mariana. She's our neighbour, she doesn't watch wrestling so she has absolutely no idea who anyone is. Be nice, guys, that's all I'm asking." I shake my head as I look at him. Everyone smiles and starts to walk off. "Ambrose, get over here" the guy who spoke at the meeting says. Jon kisses my head and walks off. I frown as Joe grins. "That's Hunter" he says quietly. "He calls everyone by their ring names. You get used to it after a while." I nod and watch as Colby talks to two girls who look exactly the same. "Twins?" I ask. Joe nods. "Brie and Nikki Bella" he says. I watch as they nod at Colby, slyly looking back at me. "That's her?" one asks. Colby nods. "Hey Ambrose" one says as he starts walking back to me. "Yeah?" Jon says, stopping by them. "She's cute" they say. "You two look good together." He shakes his head, looking at me quickly as I carry on talking to Joe. "Friends, girls, friends" he says before walking back to me. "Come on toots" he says grabbing my hand. "I feel like an exhibit at a museum" I groan as he pulls me past everyone. "They're all staring." He nods as we get back into the locker room. "It's just new" he says sitting down and pulling me with him. "Yeah" Colby says walking in. "Jon doesn't do emotion." I smile and curl up on the sofa, putting my head on his chest. His hand automatically starts stroking my hair. Joe walks in and smiles. "We're out first" he says. Jon nods. "I gotta go, toots" he says. I sit up and watch as he stands. "Good luck" I say smiling. Colby turns a tv on. "You can watch from here" he says. "Nobody will disturb you." I nod and smile as they all walk out.


	14. Chapter 14

I turn the tv off as soon as they're gone. I don't watch wrestling, I wouldn't know if what they're doing is good or bad. I open the door and look up and down the corridor before deciding to head to where the meeting was held. I hear voices when I'm halfway there and start to walk slower. "Hey miss!" a voice calls. "You can't be back here." The people talking turn around and one smiles. "Hey Mariana" Randy says. "She's ok Mark, she's with Ambrose." The guy nods and walks off. "Thanks" I say, standing next to Randy. "I don't have a clue what would have happened if you hadn't been here." He smiles. "It's ok" he says. "So you're the mysterious Mariana who has Ambrose captivated" the other guy says, reminding me Randy and I aren't alone. Randy grins. "Mariana, this is Nick" he says. I smile. "Ria" I say holding my hand out. "Dolph" Nick says. "Nobody calls me Nick back here." "Nick it is" I say smiling. "I don't do pretend names. When Jon gets called Ambrose I look around like there's someone else with us." Randy laughs. "So why are you wandering the corridors alone?" he asks. I groan. "They're in the ring" I say. "I don't watch wrestling, I never have, so I don't have a clue if what they're doing is good or bad..." "Ria" Nick says quickly. "You need to watch tonight. Really." I frown. "Why?" I ask. Nick grabs my hand and pulls me to a screen. I smile when I see Jon in the ring. He's like a different person. The guys look mean. I shake my head. "I can't watch this" I whisper. "I really can't. Sorry Nick." He nods. "Come to catering Ria?" Randy asks. I nod and follow him along the corridor.

"Why can't you watch?" he asks quietly, handing me a bottle of water and making me sit down. I shake my head. "I don't know" I say. "That's not Jon in there. Not the Jon I know, anyway." He nods. "That's Ambrose in there" he says. "But Jon isn't all that different to him, you know. Fight anywhere, treat 'em mean keep 'em keen kinda guy..." I shake my head. "Not anymore" I say quietly. "He's changed. Something in him has changed. He's caring. Real caring. And such a gentleman..." "The fuck have you been saying Orton?" Jon growls from behind us. I spin around. "Nothing Jon" I say. "He just wondered why I couldn't watch you out there, that's all." Jon glares at Randy. "I, uh, better get ready for my match" Randy says standing up. Jon nods and watches as Randy walks away. "Spill it Ria" he says, sitting opposite me. I shake my head. "He really said nothing Jon" I say. "He was just keeping me occupied until you came back. I couldn't watch you in the ring, it was like a different person." He smiles. "That's what I need them to think" he says quietly, leaning over the table and kissing me softly. I look up at him and he groans. "Kiss me back Ria" he begs. I lean over the table and kiss him softly, moaning as he licks along my lips. I open my mouth and he deepens the kiss, holding on to the back of my head so I can't pull away. Not that I was going to anyway. "Jon" I finally moan as he lets me go. He smiles at me, eyes shining, then looks over my shoulder and groans. I frown and look behind me. We have an audience. The twins, Randy, Nick, Colby and Joe are all stood watching us. "Friends, my ass" one of the twins says, before turning and walking away. The group breaks up and I look at Jon before running down the corridor after the twin.

"Uh, which one are you?" I ask when I catch up to her. "Nikki" she says smiling at me. "Look, come in here, we can talk better." I nod and follow her into a locker room. She points at a sofa and I sit while she grabs some clothes. "Mariana" she says slowly. "I don't know who you and Ambrose think you're fooling, but we weren't born yesterday, ok?" I frown. "Nikki" I say. "I really, really don't have a clue what you think you know, but he really is telling the truth. We really are only friends." She nods. "Ok" she says sitting down next to me. "Ria, right?" I nod. "Ria" she says. "Ambrose was a prick on the Europe tour, I mean, a total dick. Bit anyone's head off who came near him. Got wasted in the bar most nights, calling out for you in the hotel corridors. You guys might think you're just friends, but believe me, there's more there. You need to be honest with yourselves. How long have you known him?" "About eight weeks" I say quietly. "Ok" she says. "How many times have you had sex with him in those eight weeks?" I look at her in shock, but it's obvious she's waiting for an answer. "None" I say quietly. Now it's her turn to look at me in shock. "Really?" she asks. I nod. "He's stayed with me a few times" I say. "But we've never done anything." "Woah" she says. "What's stopping you? Boyfriend?" I shake my head, then groan. "Kinda" I say. She nods. "How does he feel about Ambrose staying with you?" she asks. "I wouldn't know" I say, tears springing to my eyes. "He died six months ago. I haven't, can't, let anyone get close since. Well, that's not technically true, I mean, I slept with Colby, but I never expected anything more..." "You're the twitter girl?" she asks suddenly. I groan and nod. "Yeah" I say. "So now you see why this is awkward." "Ria" she says holding my hand. "This boyfriend, is that's what's stopping you?" I nod. "I can't move on Nikki" I sob. "I can't do it to Rico. Now I've hurt Colby because of it. He thinks that Jon is more special than him, thinks that I've let Jon in when I haven't. But Colby, well, he has Emily now." Nikki nods. "You need to think things through Ria" she says. "Jon needs you. You're good for him." I smile. "He's good for me too" I say quietly. "The nightmares aren't so bad when he's around." She nods. "Think it through" she says. "Give him a chance." I nod and stand up. "Thanks Nikki" I say quietly. She smiles. "Anytime kid" she says hugging me. "Just, well, just make sure you come see us again, ok?" I nod and head back out to find Jon and the guys.


	15. Chapter 15

"Hey" Jon says, looking up as I walk into the locker room. "I was just about to send out a search party. Hey, you ok?" I nod and smile at him as Joe and Colby walk out of the bathroom. "Hey baby girl" Joe says smiling. "Everything ok?" I nod. "It's good Joe" I say. "Just tired, I guess. Been a long day." He nods and grabs his bag. "We're done for the night" he says. "We get to go home now if you want? Or we could hit a bar and get a beer first." "No" Jon says quickly. "She said she's tired. Let's go home. We can always go to Pete's if we still want a beer when we get back." Colby nods and they all grab their bags. Joe opens the door and we head to the car. Ten minutes later we're on the way home.

"Ria" Jon whispers. I wake with a jump. "We're home" he says kissing my head. I nod and stretch before following him out of the car. "Leave our bags" Joe says. "Colby and I are heading to Pete's. You wanna...?" I shake my head and he smiles. "Sleep well baby girl" he says hugging me. "You know where we are if you need anything, right?" I nod and kiss his cheek, watching as Colby shifts awkwardly from left foot to right. "Thank you for tonight guys" I say quietly. "And I'm sorry about twitter, Colby. I hope everything is ok with Emily." He nods. "Thanks Ria" he says. I nod and turn to Jon. "And thank you" I say hugging him. "I know I wasn't meant to come tonight..." "Nonsense" he says. "The boss even said to bring you." I smile. "Yeah right Jon" I say kissing his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, ok?" He frowns. "I thought..." he starts. I shake my head. "Go have a beer with the guys Jon" I say. "You're not my babysitter. You have a life too. You need to live it. You don't know what's around the corner..." "That junkie apartment block" he smirks. "And the bank, and Pete's..." "Very funny Jon" I groan. "Go, live, enjoy your night." I kiss his cheek and walk up to my apartment, knowing he's watching every step I take. I let myself in to the apartment and turn the lounge light on before locking the door behind me. I dump my bag and turn the light off, heading straight into my bedroom, kicking my shoes off before flopping face down on the bed. The pillow Jon used still smells of him, and I cuddle up to it as I fall into a fitful sleep.

The sound of laughter wakes me. I recognise one of the laughs as Kristen. I smile knowing she's really happy with Joe. "Come on lovebirds!" she yells. "Ok ok" Colby calls up. Emily giggles. "Come on you two!" she calls. "We're coming!" a girl yells. "Well, when Jon gets his feet to work! Go on in, we'll catch you up." I sit up quickly, listening to the girl coaxing Jon up the stairs. "Two more" she says giggling as he falls. "Crawl Jon, nearly there." "Dammit Ria I hurt my knee" he moans. She stops laughing instantly. "I'm Kate, Jon, not Ria" she says. "I know, I called you Kate" he says. His voice is louder now, they're obviously outside my door. "No" she says. "You called me Ria." "Well" he says. "Maybe that's who I want you to be! Have you ever done that? Wished someone you were with was someone else?" "No" she says sternly. "I should go..." "Yeah, you should" he says. I hear footsteps run down the stairs, and the door to the guys apartment open. "Jon?" Kris says. He groans. "Hey Kris" he says. "Kate, um, she had to leave." "Why?" Kris asks. "She was so hyped about coming back here." "She had to leave cos she's not Ria" he slurs. The voices get quieter and I realise they've gone inside the guys apartment. The door shuts and outside is silent again. I shake my head and lie back down, falling asleep again easily.

6am and I'm awake again, staring at the ceiling. I get dressed quickly and brush my hair. I grab my shoes and go through to the lounge to put them on. I unlock the door and open it, stepping out into the landing and pulling the door closed behind me. He speaks as I'm locking the door. "Ria" he says softly. I shake my head. "Don't Jon" I beg, not looking at him. "I have to be somewhere." "You have to be somewhere" he repeats. "At 6am?" "Yeah Jon" I say, finally looking at him. "At 6am. I'll see you later." He watches me go as he finishes his cigarette. "Who ya talking to?" Kris asks, walking out. "Ria" Jon says simply, watching as I walk down the road. Kristen looks and groans. "Fuck" she says. "I forgot. She's gonna fucking kill me." "Forgot what?" Jon asks, looking at her. She sighs and looks up at him. "Rico" she says simply. "She's gone to talk to Rico." "Rico?" he asks. "But he's..." "Dead" Kris says. "Yeah. Six months ago today. So if ever she's gonna need you Jon, today is gonna be that day." "Should I go after her?" he asks. She shakes her head. "No" she says. "Let her go. She needs this. Rico will tell her what to do. She still sees him there. Let's hope he tells her to do the right thing." Jon frowns. "She takes advice from a dead guy?" he asks. Kristen nods, smiling. "It's how she's come so far Jon" she says, walking back inside. Jon shakes his head, throws his cigarette butt over the wall and follows her.

"Hey baby" I say, kneeling at his graveside. "You here?" I close my eyes and will him to appear. Nobody understands me like he does. "Over here" he says finally. I open my eyes and see him sat on the bench opposite, reading his gravestone. I nod but stay where I am. "God Rico I miss you so much" I whisper. "I miss you too" he says from behind me. "But we can't go on like this Chica. I don't have much time today, you won't be alone here for long. But you need to move on Ria. I'm not here anymore. You need to move on baby. I'll always love you Ria, no matter what, that's never going to change. But you're alive Ria, so live." "How Rico?" I sob. "How can I, you're not here..." "Mariana?" a woman asks softly. I spin around quickly. Rico is gone. His mother and father are stood arm in arm behind me. "Mama" I say, standing. "Papa. Um, I was just speaking to Rico..." "We heard" his father says, smiling at me despite the tears glistening in his eyes. "Come, Mariana, sit with us for a second." I nod and walk to the bench Rico had appeared on. "Mariana dear" his mother says, holding my hand. "Rico wouldn't want you being so upset. We know how hard these past few months have been for you. But you need to move on now child, you need to love again. You're still young, you're still here, it's what Rico would have wanted. He wouldn't want you moping around. Six months is enough Ria, you've respected our sons memory for long enough now. Live, Ria, live, laugh, love, be loved. It's what Rico would have wanted you to do. He wouldn't want to see you alone." I look up and see Rico stood behind his grave, nodding at everything his mother says. "It's time, Ria" he says softly before fading away. I look at his mother and father and smile. "Thank you" I say simply. They shake their heads. "No" his father says. "Thank you Ria, for loving our son, for making him happy." I nod and stand up, walking to the edge of his grave. "Bye Rico" I say softly. I don't look back as I walk away.


	16. Chapter 16

Kristen is sat on my sofa when I get back to the apartment. "Hey" she says quietly as I walk in. I nod and throw my key on the table before sitting next to her. She holds her arms out and pulls me to her, hugging me as the tears fall. She waits patiently for me to calm down. "So?" she asks finally. "What did he say?" "He, uh, told me to move on" I say quietly. "So did mama and papa. Everyone told me it's time." She nods. "Six months Ria" she says. "Six months is plenty..." "No!" I yell standing up. "Dammit Kris it's not plenty! It's nowhere near long enough! Rico knew about Jon, he didn't say it in so many words, but he knows!" "He knows what, Ria?" Kristen asks, frowning. "Knows you're friends? Everyone knows that..." "No" I say looking at her. "He knows, he knows, oh fuck Kris! Rico knows I'm falling in love with Jon! What the fuck do I do?" I look at her, but she isn't looking at me, she's looking behind me. I spin around and freeze. Jon is stood in the doorway to the kitchen, holding two mugs of coffee. He takes a deep breath and puts them down before walking straight through the apartment, out the front door. I wince as I hear his front door slam. "How long was he stood there?" I ask quietly. She shakes her head. "He heard pretty much everything" she says. I nod. "You, uh, should go check he's ok" I say. She nods and gets up, looking back at me as she reaches the front door. "You..." she starts. "I'm ok" I say. She nods and heads back next door. I lock the door quickly and head for the shower.

As soon as I get out and get dressed I head for the kitchen, pausing in the lounge long enough to turn the stereo on before pouring myself a coffee and heading out onto the balcony. I watch the surfers with envy, not a care in the world. Or do they? Are they out there surfing their troubles away? I shake my head and sip my coffee. Banging at my door startles me but I ignore it. Whoever it is will get the message and go away. The banging stops and I smile. Movement in the street catches my eye. Joe and Colby, running after someone. Jon. I frown as he starts looking up at the block. "Ria!" he yells. I shake my head and ignore him, turning to go back inside. "Dammit Ria don't you ignore me!" he yells. I freeze and look down at him. A crowd has started to gather around the guys and I groan. I turn away and he yells again. "Damn you Mariana Lopez!" he yells. "Look at me Ria!" I take a deep breath and look down at the street. "Ria" he groans. "I, well, I'm, ah fuck it! I'm falling in love with you too, toots! Now are you gonna let me in or do I have to confess everything in the street?" I smirk. "It's open, Jon" I call down. The crowd cheers as he runs back up. I run to the door and unlock it before heading back out onto the balcony. Seconds later he's behind me. "Toots" he groans. I spin around and he walks forward, wrapping his arms around me. I manage to put my coffee down and he grins. "Ria" he whispers. I shake my head and put a finger on his lips. He kisses it softly then looks at me. I run my fingers through his hair and he closes his eyes. "Kiss me Jon" I say quietly. "Thought you'd never ask" he whispers, dipping his head to mine. As soon as his lips touch mine I know I never want to let him go. He backs me against the wall without breaking the kiss. "Damn Ria" he finally moans. "What now?" I ask quietly. He shakes his head. "I don't know" he finally admits. "I don't know what to do. Help me, Ria, before I fuck this, well whatever this is, before I fuck it up." I shake my head. "I won't let you fuck up Jon" I say. "But you gotta realise, it ain't all gonna be smooth sailing for me either." He nods. "As long as it takes" he whispers, pulling me back to him. "About fucking time you two" Kris says from the doorway. We pull apart and giggle nervously. She smiles. "Seriously" she says hugging us both. "It's good to see you happy. Jon, have you told her about Colby?" He winces and shakes his head. "Ninja boy proposed to Emily last night" he says. "Woah!" I say. "That's one way to take the buzz away from the twitter rumour!" Kris laughs as she sits down. "Totally" she says. "So when are you both gonna go public?" I look at Jon in horror. "More fangirl trouble?" I ask. "Really?" He shakes his head. "As long as it takes, toots" he reminds me. I nod and kiss him softly. "Oh jeez guys" Joe groans from the kitchen. "Not in front of the children!" Jon laughs. "You're forgetting one thing Anoa'i" he says. "I heard the children doing worse last night. I so need to switch rooms." I laugh as Kris and Joe go red. "Maybe" I say finally. "Or maybe you need to switch apartments." He looks at me in surprise. "Are you serious Ria?" he asks. I shrug. "Can't hurt to try, right?" I ask. He nods then kisses me quickly. "One thing at a time Ria" he says smiling. "First, I wanna spend some time with my girlfriend. Alone." Joe and Kristen laugh and nod. "Getting the hint Jon" Joe says, walking over and kissing my head. Kristen waves as she walks out, followed by Joe and Jon. He's back by my side within seconds. "Uh, how does this work?" he asks finally. I smile and take his hand, leading him into the lounge. "Sit" I say, smiling as he does straight away. I turn the stereo off and turn the tv on before sitting next to him and handing him the control. "Show me" I whisper. "Show me what you do." He smiles and puts Raw on before lying back and pulling me with him. I look up at him as he wraps his arms around me. "Oh god Ria" he moans, kissing me gently. I smile. "How does this feel so right already?" I ask. He shrugs. "I don't know" he admits. "And I don't care. All I care about, is the fact that it does. I'm done fighting it Ria." I nod. "Me too, Jon" I say quietly. "Me too."


	17. Chapter 17

Raw finished ten minutes ago, and I'm still none the wiser as to what my boyfriend does for a living. He's kept my attention firmly away from the tv for the last 3 hours, kissing, hugging, talking, and generally just being with me. "Come with me tonight?" he asks suddenly. I nod, smiling. "Ok" I say. He looks at me in surprise. "Really?" he asks. I nod. "Really" I say. He hugs me tightly. "Pack a bag" he says. "We won't come back tonight, we'll stay in the hotel." I nod and stand up, heading for the bedroom. "Ria" he says softly. I pause and look at him. "I... Thank you" he mumbles. I smile and walk into the bedroom to pack.

When I go back in the lounge he's not there. There's a note on the table. "Gone to pack" I read. "I won't be long. Jon xx" I smile and check I've got everything I'm gonna need for the night. Kris comes in as I'm double checking. "Hey" she says smiling. I smile. "Hey yourself" I say. "So I hear you're going with the guys again tonight?" she asks. I nod. "Jon asked" I say. She smiles. "Good" she says. "You need this. You guys need each other Ria." I nod. "Baby steps though Kris" I say. She's about to answer when Jon walks in. "Hey Kris" he says. "Joe said something about food?" "Shit!" she yells. "I forgot I was cooking! I'll call you later Ria. Have a good night." I nod and laugh as she races next door. "Alone again" Jon says, smiling as he wraps his arms around me. I smile up at him. "Just how I like it" I whisper. He nods and kisses me softly. "We're taking the SUV" he says. "The guys are leaving later than us, and they're coming home tonight to be with Kris and Emily. They've hired another car. So, we can leave when you're ready." "I'm ready" I say, looking around. "Ok" he says smiling. He picks my bag up and heads outside, waiting for me before heading down to the car. "Bye guys!" Joe yells. "See you at the arena!" We nod and wave as Jon loads the car. "Here" he says, kissing me as he opens my door. I smile and get in, just closing the door as he runs around the car. "Ready?" he asks. I nod and he starts the car. Before long we're driving along, laughing and singing along to the radio.

"Here we are" he says stopping the car. "I have to get my bag out now, and the valet parks the car. Just to warn you, there are a few fans waiting at the doors." I nod. "It's ok" I say. "They think I'm with Colby anyway." He smiles but I notice him clench and unclench his fist quickly. "Jon" I say quietly. "Does it bug you that I, you know, with Colby, but we haven't...?" He shakes his head, groaning as he kisses me. "I told you Ria" he says. "As long as it takes." I nod and smile before getting out of the car. "That's the twitter girl!" someone yells straight away. I groan. "Where's Seth?" one yells. I look up at them. "At home with his girlfriend the last time I saw him" I say, smiling as Jon walks around with his bag. "Put your arm around me Jon" I say softly. He groans and does straight away, kissing my head and leading me into the arena. My phone buzzes and I groan. He laughs as I get it out of my bag. "False alarm" I read. "She turned up with Ambrose, trying to confuse us." I show Jon and he laughs. "They'll believe what they want to believe, Ria" he warns. I nod and put the phone away as I follow him to the locker room. I watch as he throws his bag into a corner then pulls me onto the sofa. "I'm glad you came" he whispers, looking me in the eyes. "I don't think I could concentrate out there tonight after we sorted all this today if you weren't here." I smile and kiss him. "Well you don't need to worry" I say. "I'm here." He nods and hugs me tightly. We're lying hugging when Colby and Joe walk in.

"That's so cute guys" Joe says smiling as he throws his bag. I laugh and start to sit up but Jon stops me. "Don't leave me" he begs. I frown. "I'm not" I say. "I just thought you had to go to that meeting." He groans and nods. "Come with me" he says, and it's obviously an order not a request. I nod and hold my hand out as he gets off the sofa. He smiles and holds my hand all the way to the meeting. We're late, everyone else is already there. Nikki smiles at me when we walk in and points at the seat next to her. Jon nods and before I know what he's doing he kisses me softly in front of everyone. "Nice of you to join us Ambrose" Hunter says smiling. I blush and Nikki laughs as I sit next to her. "Talk went well I take it?" she asks. I nod. "Thanks Nikki" I say. She shakes her head and looks to the front as Hunter starts explaining what's going to happen that night. He may as well be speaking Dutch, I have no idea what he's talking about. Nikki laughs at the clueless look on my face. "Hey Ambrose" she calls. "I think your girlfriend needs wrestling talk lessons, or even wrestling lessons." He shakes his head. "She's going nowhere near that ring" he says straight away. I smile and nod. "One thing we agree on babe" I say looking back at him. He blows me a kiss and concentrates on the rest of the meeting. "Come find us when the guys have their match" Nikki says as everyone leaves after the meeting. I nod and wave as Jon leads me back to the locker room.


	18. Chapter 18

Holy shit. He looks mean. I mean hot. No, mean. No, hot. Ah shit, mean and hot. He smirks at me as I stare at him. "See something you like toots?" he teases as he does his belt up. I nod. "Can we take it home?" I ask, smirking back at him. He grins. "It's been in my bag the whole time Ria" he says. "Did you really not pay any attention last night?" I shake my head. "I'll be glued to that tv tonight" I say as the guys laugh. "Five minutes guys!" a guy yells, banging on the door. Colby and Joe pour a bottle of water over their heads, but I'm focused on Jon. He opens the door and steps into the corridor, dropping to the floor and doing fingertip push-ups while he waits for them. They finally join him and he stands up, looking at me. "Walk with us?" he asks. I nod and he holds my hand tightly. We get to a door and I can hear fans the other side. Jon smiles. "They're getting good at working out where we're going in from" he says hugging me tightly. I smile and look up at him as he kisses me. I pull him closer as he deepens the kiss. We only realise the door is open when we hear the screams. "Oops" he grins. "See you soon toots." I nod and smile as he disappears into the corridor. The door closes and I'm alone again. I head back to the locker room when a voice calls me over. I smile as I recognise Nikki. "Hey Ria" she says smiling. "Where's Ambrose?" "Gone to do what he does best" I say slumping into a seat. "Trust me" a blonde smirks. "Wrestling ain't what he does best. But, you're with him, right? You gotta know what I'm talking about." I frown at her. "Summer!" Nikki yells. She looks at me quickly. "Ria" she says. I shake my head as I stand up. "I gotta go" I say quietly.

As soon as I'm in the locker room I check my phone. Twitter has blown up. "No false alarm, she's dating Ambrose" I read. There's a picture of Jon and I kissing and I groan. The phone rings and I smile. "Hey Kris" I say quietly. "What's happened?" she asks. I shake my head. "Fans caught us" I groan. "It's all over twitter." "I saw" she says laughing. "But that's not the real problem, so spill." "Ah damn" I groan. "Kris, what do you know about Summer?" "My favourite season" she says. "But a bitch of a diva. Why?" "Something she just said while I was talking to Nikki" I say. "Tell me everything" she says quickly. "Ah damn Kris" I groan. "Nikki asked where Jon was, so I told her he's doing what he does best, and this Summer chick pipes up that wrestling isn't what Jon does best, but I should know that because I'm with him." "Bitch!" she says loudly. I hear a voice in the background. Emily. "Ignore it Ria" Kristen finally says. "Summer is a first class bitch. She's probably just testing the water, seeing how far she can push you. Don't let her win." "I feel like she already has" I admit. "I mean, he's my boyfriend, and she clearly knows more than me about..." "About what?" Kristen asks. "Ria, you still there?" "I'll call you back" I say quietly, ending the call, and looking up at Jon. "Mariana" he says. "What's happened?" "You tell me, Jon" I say standing up. "Tell you what. What don't you go find out from Summer. She seems to know everything around here. Including what my boyfriend is good at." He winces. "It was only once" he whispers. "I swear, Ria, it was only once." "Still once more than me" I say looking at him. He shakes his head. "Damn Ria" he moans. "If you wanna play it this way, Colby knows more about my girlfriend than I do! And that was five times! I know! My room was next door, I heard every second of it. So, do you really wanna go there? Do you wanna know how I feel, thinking back to the night when we met and it ending with you screaming my brothers name repeatedly? And him screaming yours? Cos trust me, that's some kinda fucked up right there." I shake my head. "I never should have come here" I say. "I don't belong here, these are your friends, this is your world. I should have stayed at Pete's..." "And what, Ria?" he asks grabbing my arms. "Moped over Rico all night while wondering what I was doing? Or maybe you wouldn't wonder at all. Maybe..." "Maybe you shouldn't have been in my apartment when I got back this morning" I say looking at him. "Maybe you shouldn't have heard what I said to Kristen. Maybe, this, this is all a huge mistake." I pull my arms out of his grasp and make a run for the door.

"No" he says slamming it before I get there. "Don't you ever, ever say that Ria. Teething problems. That's what this is. We both need to accept that we have pasts we're not proud of, and we need to move on from them. I'm not quitting Ria. I don't quit." I look at him and he groans. "Let's go to the hotel" he says softly. "Have a few drinks, chat with some of the guys, and move on from this." I nod slowly and he hugs me. "No running" he whispers. I nod and wait for him to grab his bag. I open the door as Colby and Joe appear in the corridor. "Leaving already?" Colby asks. I nod. "Tired" I say. "Night Colby. Night Joe." They smile and watch as I walk towards the door to the car park. "ok, what gives?" Colby asks quietly, looking at Jon. He shakes his head. "Fucking Summer" he says. "Basically told Ria what happened with us. I need to make this right guys." Joe nods. "Don't fuck this up Jon" he warns. "Not today. Today is one day she doesn't need anything going wrong. Treat her right." "I will" Jon says watching as I kick at the floor. "I love her, guys."


	19. Chapter 19

We get into the car without saying a word to each other. Jon programmes the hotel address into the GPS and starts the car. I stare out the window the whole way to the hotel, but I know when he's watching me instead of the road. I can feel his eyes on me. "Ria" he groans as he parks the car. I shake my head and get out, grabbing my bag before walking into the lobby and waiting for him. He smiles when he sees me waiting. "Don't get excited" I say. "I just don't know what name the room is booked under." He smirks. "Ok" he says, leaving his bag with me to go get the key. "Got it" he finally says, walking back to me after endless flirting by the receptionist. I nod and follow him, glaring at her as I walk. She puts her head down quickly and pretends to work. "You don't need to be jealous" he whispers in my ear. "It's you I'm sharing a bed with tonight." I look up at him and he kisses me quickly as the lift opens. "That's better" he says as I smile at him.

When we get in the room he heads straight for the shower. I get changed quickly, and I'm pinning my hair up when he walks out. Woah. Holy shit. "Drooling Ria" he warns. I smile and pretend to wipe my mouth before carrying on with my hair. The image of him in nothing but a towel is going to haunt me forever, not that I mind. "Ria can you come in here please?" he calls from the bedroom. I frown but stand up and walk to him. He's sat on the bed. "Jon?" I ask quietly. He looks up at me. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?" I ask. He shakes his head. "Sit, toots" he says, patting the bed next to him. I look at him, the pleading look in his eyes convinces me. "Jon you're scaring me" I say, sitting next to him. He shakes his head. "That's the last thing I wanna do" he says holding my hand. "Ria, did you mean what you said earlier?" "About?" I ask. "About how I shouldn't have been in the apartment when you told Kristen how you felt about me" he says. I nod slowly. He shakes his head. "Ok" he says quietly. "I, uh, kinda have a confession to make." I look at him and he puts his head down. "I lied, earlier" he says. "When I said I was falling in love with you, I said it so you would open the door." I stand up quickly. "Ok" I say finally. "I, uh... Never mind." I walk out, leaving him sat on the bed. "Ria!" he yells. I shake my head and grab my shoes and bag before running out of the room to the lift.

He doesn't follow me. I knew he wouldn't. The towel kinda gave that away. I'm just pulling my shoes on in the lobby when I hear it. "Mariana!" Nikki squeals, running to me. I smile and hug her. "What's up?" she asks finally. "Why aren't you locked in the hotel room with Jon?" I shake my head. "Nikki I need a drink" I say, looking past her to the bar. "Sounds like a plan" she says, linking arms with me and leading me into the bar. We sit at a table and she smiles as more stars walk in. "Brie, Bryan, John!" she calls. They walk over and grab seats, filling our table up quickly. Nikki orders a load of drinks and I groan. She is going to be the cause of my hangover in the morning. "Spill Ria" she says finally. I nod. "I, uh, kinda asked Jon about Summer" I say. She stares at me. "You shouldn't listen to her..." she starts. I shake my head. "While we were being honest" I say. "He confessed that he lied when he said he was falling in love with me. I couldn't stay, Nikki, I had to leave." Brie puts her arm around me. "Ria" she says quietly. "Are you absolutely sure that's what he said?" "Brie" I groan. "I'm not likely to get those words wrong, ever. They're etched on my brain. He told me he lied about falling in love with me so I would open the door." Movement in the doorway catches my eye. I look up and smile. "Hey Nick, Randy, come join us" I say. They nod and grab seats. A waitress appears with beers for them and soon everyone is halfway to getting buzzed. "Another round?" I ask. Everyone nods and I look over at the bar. The barmaid nods and soon another tray of drinks appears. There's another Jack on there and I frown. "Excuse me" I say calling her back. "One too many." She shakes her head. "The guy went to the bathroom" she says looking over at the bathroom door as it opens. "Ah, here he is." I know who it is before he even joins us. "He isn't sitting here" I say looking at Jon as he walks slowly over. "Take that one away." "Ria" Nikki warns. I look at the only other available table. Summer is sat at it. "I hope they're happy together" I shrug, watching as he sits with her.

"So Ria" Nick slurs about an hour later. "What exactly do you see in Ambrose anyway?" I smile as I look over to where he's sat with Summer, staring at me. "I'm starting to wonder that myself" I admit. "How can I feel this way for someone who openly admits to lying about falling in love with me?" I obviously say that louder than I mean to. Jon growls and I stand up. "I need to go" I say. Nikki nods and hugs me. "I'll see you in the morning" she says quietly. I nod and wave at everyone before heading to reception. "I, uh, locked myself out of my room" I say to the flirty receptionist. She nods. "Which room?" she asks smugly. "355" I say. She checks the computer and smirks at me. "I'm sorry" she says, obviously about as far from sorry as she could be. "The room is booked under a Mr, I can't issue another key." "Ria" Jon says from behind me. I spin around and he holds out the key. "Take it" he says quietly. I snatch it from him and head for the stairs.


	20. Chapter 20

I get in the room and sit on the sofa to take my shoes off. My phone rings and I ignore it, waiting for it to ring off before I turn it off and throw it in my bag. I walk slowly into the bedroom, groaning when I see the towel lying on the floor. I can still smell his aftershave. "Man up Ria" I groan, stripping quickly and getting under the covers. It seems to take forever to fall asleep. I finally manage it, cuddled up to Jon's hoodie. I'm not asleep long before something wakes me. I lie in the darkness until I hear it again. Scratching at the door. I start to sit up as the door clicks and opens. Jon chuckles and I hear him throw a key onto the table before turning the light on. "Bedtime Jonny" he says. "Ah damn, I can't, Ria is in there, she's all kinda of pissed at me." I get up and stand in the doorway, watching him fight with himself over whether to come to bed or not. "Jon" I finally say. He looks at me straight away, pain in his eyes. "Damn Ria" he groans. "I'm a fucking idiot." "Yes you are" I say. "Now come to bed." "But you're pissed with me" he moans. I nod. "I am" I say. "But I'm also adult enough to let you share the bed for tonight. Come on." I turn my back on him and get back into bed. He's behind me in seconds. "Ria, I..." he starts. I shake my head. "Just get into bed Jon" I say turning my back on him. He sits on the edge of the bed and starts getting undressed. "You know what?" he says suddenly. "I'm just gonna put this out there, mainly because I'm sick to death of being treated like the bad guy here. My co-workers have all treated me as if I've got the plague or something tonight. Now, I know I fucking deserve it for what I said, but you didn't fucking let me finish..." "You said enough Jon" I say, rolling back and looking at him. He shakes his head. "No" he says defiantly. "No, I fucking didn't. You didn't let me finish. Well now, I'm not taking no for an answer. Ria, yes, I lied when I said I was falling in love with you." "I know Jon" I say coldly. "You've already told me that." "And I lied to get you to open the door" he says. "Ria, when I said I was falling in love with you, I lied, well, I lied because.." "You were cold and needed my door open so bad" I say starting to roll back over. "No dammit!" he yells, grabbing my shoulder and pulling me back over. "I lied about falling in love with you, because I'm already IN love with you. I fell in love with you ages ago, I've been too scared to tell you. I fucking love you doll."

"Um, you what?" I ask quickly. "I love you" he whispers. "I have for a while. I knew for sure after that night you came into my bed when Colby wouldn't leave." "And you never told me" I say. He shakes his head. "How could I?" he asks. "What was I supposed to say? Oh hey Ria, you're avoiding Colby like the plague because he's openly chasing you, but by the way, I'm in love with you too?" I groan. "Exactly" he says. "Just get into bed Jon" I say quietly. He nods and finishes ridding himself of his clothes before sliding under the covers, being careful not to touch me.

"So is this it?" he asks suddenly. "Are we, like, over, before we even started?" I roll over and look at him, catching my breath as he reaches out to brush a stray hair away from my cheek. "Don't leave me" he begs. "Please don't leave me Ria." I shake my head as he wraps his arms around me. I pull him closer to me and cuddle into his chest. "You know what?" I ask quietly. "What toots?" he asks. "This, right here" I say. "This is my favourite place to be. Just lying with you, no demands, no talking, just being here." He nods. "Sleep, Ria" he says kissing my head. "I'm going nowhere. I'm here, only for you." I smile and kiss his chest. "Night toots" he whispers softly.

I wake up with his arms still wrapped around me. "I love you" he whispers as he holds me tighter. I smile. "I know Jon" I whisper. "Look at me Ria" he groans. I turn around so we're chest to chest. He puts a finger under my chin and lifts my head until I've got no option but to look at him. "I love you" he says slowly. "I'm not expecting anything in return, not yet, it's a lot to take in and I've had longer to get used to it than you have. As long as it takes Ria. No pressure, I promise." I nod and kiss him softly. He groans and holds me tight, kissing me back but pulling away before the kiss gets too heated. "Damn Ria" he moans. "I gotta stop kissing you, or I'll be, uh, poking you." I look up at him and smirk. "So poke me, Jon" I say. He looks at me, wide eyed. "Uh, what?" he splutters. I shake my head and pull out of his arms. He watches as I stand up and slowly take my bra off before sliding my lace panties down my legs. "I said" I say climbing back into bed. "Poke me." He wraps his arms around me and groans. "Oh fuck Ria" he whispers. I put my finger on his lips and smile. "Unless you don't want to..." I start. Before I know it I'm lying on my back and he's on top of me. "Does it feel like I don't want to?" he growls. I shake my head and wrap my legs around him. "So do it" I whisper. He moans and kisses me softly, adjusting himself so he's ready, just the slightest movement and there'll be no going back. His eyes search mine, as if he's expecting me to change my mind. I groan and pull him into me slowly. "You ok?" he whispers. I nod and kiss him as he moves slowly. "Damn Ria" he moans. I smile and kiss him as we move together. He kisses me softly then moans as he shifts off me, lying on his back quickly. "Jon?" I ask, rolling to look at him. "I'm ok" he pants. "I, uh, just gotta stop or it's gonna be over way too soon." I smile and sit up, looking into his eyes as I straddle him. "Then we take our time with round two" I say, sliding down onto him. "Fuck!" he moans, grabbing my hips and pulling me straight down onto him. I look at him and he nods slowly, holding me in place as he moves beneath me. "Jon" I whimper. He nods. "Let go, Ria" he moans. "Oh fuck Ria I love you." I moan and start to move, keeping pace with him. "Damn Ria, fuck me!" he moans, putting his hands behind his head. I bite my lip as I look down at him. "Jon I'm so close" I moan. He groans. "Let go Ria" he whispers. I moan as I move, my world exploding. "Damn Ria" he moans, grabbing my hips and thrusting into me hard. "Jon!" I moan. "Fuck Ria!" he moans, moving faster and harder. He yells my name as he spills into me, the two of us panting as we look at each other. He shifts slightly and I'm lying beside him, his arms wrapped around me. "I love you" he whispers.


	21. Chapter 21

"Ria!" Kris yells as I walk into my apartment. I spin around and smile as she follows me in. "Help!" she groans, slumping on the sofa. I frown as I put my bag down. "What's up?" I ask, starting to sort through the bag for the laundry. "Save me from bridezilla" she begs. "Please!" I frown. "Already?" I ask. She nods. "I think she figures the sooner she gets Colby up the aisle the quicker he'll get over you" she says. I groan. "This again?" I ask, looking up as Jon walks in. "Hey Kris" he says waving at her as he walks straight to me. "Won't be a second, just forgot something." I frown as he wraps his arms around me before kissing me softly. "I love you" he whispers before walking back out and shutting the door behind him. "Woah" Kristen says, looking at me. "That's new." I nod, touching my lips, still feeling his lips there too. "Yeah" I say. "Uh, he kinda told me last night. And this morning. Repeatedly." "Ria" she says slowly. "You didn't say it back." I shake my head, giving up on the laundry and sitting next to her. "I can't" I say. "Not yet. I've only just got used to the fact that I'm falling for him Kris. I still feel like I'm betraying Rico if I say it now." "Please tell me you've actually had sex with the guy Ria" she groans. I smile shyly and nod. "And?" she asks. "He's amazing" I say simply. She grins. "I'm glad things are going well" she says. "I should get back to bride, I mean, Emily." I nod and wave as she heads for the door. "Oh Ria" she says. "Don't forget you've got a gig tonight at Pete's." I nod. "I know" I say. "That's why I came home. Jon wanted us to stay another night." She smiles and waves as she heads back next door. I sit for a few more minutes before slowly getting to my feet. "Laundry won't sort itself, Ria" I groan, dragging the bag into the kitchen to get it started.

I'm on the balcony with my coffee when Jon walks out. "Hey" I say smiling up at him. He smiles and kisses my head before pulling a seat out. "So I hear my girlfriend has a gig tonight" he says quietly. I frown and nod. "What's wrong Jon?" I ask. He shakes his head. "I'm being selfish Ria" he says. "Ignore me. I just wanted you all to myself. Oh, did I tell you? I moved in with my girlfriend today." I smile. "Oh really?" I ask. He nods. "Her lounge is in kind of a state though" he groans. "Probably gonna take me all night to get it sorted." I groan and head inside to look at the damage for myself. "Jon" I say, puzzled. "There's like, 4 bags. How is that gonna take all night?" "Did I tell you my girlfriend has a gig tonight?" he asks. "Like I'm gonna do this when I can be sat in a bar watching her perform!" I smile and kiss him. "I should go get ready" I say quietly. He nods. "I'll make a start on this lot" he says. I smile and head for the bathroom.

When I get out of the shower I can't hear Jon so I wrap a towel around me and head into the lounge. "Hey Jon" I call. "Did I leave my hairbrush in my bag out here?" "He's popped out" Colby says from the sofa. "Said he won't be long." "Dammit Colby" I groan, putting my hand on my chest as if I can calm my heart rate that way. He smiles. "Sorry" he says. "Didn't mean to scare you." I nod. "It's good" I say. "Anyway, I hear the wedding is soon, right?" He groans. "Ria can I talk to you?" he asks. I frown. "Kinda thought you were" I say. "I can't marry her" he blurts suddenly. "I proposed cos of the twitter thing, well, she kinda took it that I proposed and now it's gotten all blown out of proportion and I ain't got a fucking clue how to fix this. What do I do, Ria?" I groan and sit on the sofa opposite him. "Colby" I say. "You gotta tell her. There's no other way." He nods. "I know" he says quietly. "Even Kristen is calling her bridezilla. What am I gonna do?" "Colby" I say. "For fuck sake tell her, before it's too late." "I will" he says quietly, standing up. "Thanks Ria." I nod and watch as he goes back to his apartment. As soon as the door is closed I take a deep breath and hunt my brush down. I finally find it and run back to the bedroom to finish getting dressed.

Jon walks in as I'm putting the finishing touches to my outfit. "Holy shit" he groans, sitting on the bed. "Like it?" I ask, twirling for him. He grins. "Toots" he says. "If you weren't already my girlfriend I'd ask you out right now!" I laugh and turn around, checking my top in the mirror. "Ria" he says suddenly. "You do realise that the back of your top is missing, right?" I laugh. "It's meant to be like that Jon" I say walking over and kissing him. "Everything that needs to be covered, is covered, ok?" He nods and kisses me softly. "Ok to hit the shower?" he asks. I frown. "Thought you live here" I say. He nods. "I do" he says. "So why are you asking?" I ask. He thinks for a second. "Good question" he says jumping up and racing into the bathroom. I laugh and check my makeup before heading into the lounge to wait for him.

When he walks out to me my heart skips a beat. He looks amazing. Tight black shirt, jeans, and a leather jacket slung over his shoulder. Wow. "If you weren't my boyfriend" I say looking at him. "I'd..." "You'd what?" he teases, leaning over the back of the sofa and kissing me. "I'd ask why you just walked out of my bedroom!" I say, kissing him quickly before running away. He laughs and catches me easily. "Jeez you're short with no shoes on" he says dipping his head to kiss me. I smile and grab my stiletto boots. I pull them on then stand next to him again. "That's better" he says kissing me. "Doesn't strain my neck so much..." I slap him playfully and he laughs. "Babe" he says. "Hornswoggle hits harder than you." "Who?" I ask. He groans. "Never mind" he says looking at the time. "Shouldn't we be leaving now?" I look at the clock and groan. "Yeah" I say grabbing my bag. He smirks as he opens the door. "What's going on Jon?" I ask, frowning at him. He shakes his head. "Just gotta let the guys know we're leaving" he says. I nod, expecting him to go into their apartment. Oh no, not Jon. "GUYS!" he yells. "WE'RE LEAVING NOW!" I groan as I lock the door. "Jon!" I say. "Do you have to be so loud?" He nods simply. I hear a door open upstairs and prepare myself for the yelling. The old guy upstairs hates noise. When no shouting happens I look at the stairs. Jon sees me looking and grins. "Surprise baby" he says kissing my head. "Figured you could use some friends there tonight." I look at him then back at the stairs. "Come on" Nikki says holding her arms out. I run to her and hug her quickly, looking behind her to see who else is coming down the stairs. Brie, Bryan, John, Nick, and Randy are the only ones I recognise. "Great" I say. "If I wasn't nervous before, I sure as fucking hell am now!" Jon laughs. "Ria" he says. "Nervous isn't in your vocabulary! I've seen you on that stage. Now, come on, I bet the guys all need a beer or six!" The door to the guys apartment opens and Joe, Kristen, Colby and Emily all come out. "Full house tonight Mariana" Kristen teases. "Gotta get there early before it's standing room only." I laugh and we all head downstairs and onto the street. "I can't believe I'm going to a bar with most of the WWE roster" Kristen groans, looking at the others. I laugh. "I did, last night" I say. "My head still hurts thanks to Nikki!" "Don't be a hater!" Nikki says laughing. "It's not from me, it's from it banging against the headboard when you two had your make up sex!" I groan as Jon laughs. "Damn squeaky bed" he mutters, kissing my head.


	22. Chapter 22

Pete's is packed already. I groan as Kristen laughs and makes her way to the table at the front of the stage. I watch as she stands there just staring at the people sat there. "What?" one finally asks. "Uh, don't you give me attitude!" she says, hands on her hips. "Can't you fucking read? It says reserved. I'll give you a clue. It ain't fucking reserved for you. Beat it." They stand up quickly and move off to search for another table. "Good luck sitting!" she calls after them. I laugh and walk over with Nikki and Brie. They're just getting seated when I feel arms around me. "All these people are here to watch my girlfriend" Jon groans in my ear. I smile. "Wanna take over?" I ask. "I'm sure you're used to bigger crowds than this." He chuckles, and it's the best sound ever. "Toots" he says huskily. "You've heard me sing. I ain't no Sinatra. I'll leave that to you." I smile and kiss him before going up to talk to Jake.

"Brought the bodyguard I see" he snaps. I frown at him. "Woah!" I say. "Where the fuck did that come from?" He makes a point of looking out to the crowd as he sorts his microphone stand out. "Ria" he says. "Do you realise how many of these people are here simply to see who the great Dean Ambrose is dating?" "Do I care?" I ask looking at him. "All that matters is they keep drinking and Pete pays us at the end of it. Why they're here is irrelevant Jake." He shakes his head. "It always used to be about the music Ria" he says. "Now it's about your famous fucking boyfriend." He pushes me out of the way and jumps off the stage. Jon glares at him before rushing to me. "You ok?" he asks, watching as I rub my arm. I nod. "I'm fine" I say smiling. "Jake is having a diva moment, that's all." "I resent that comment!" Nikki calls over. "Not even I can have a moment like that, and I'm the biggest diva there is!" I laugh and Jon smiles. "I knew bringing her was a good idea" he whispers kissing me softly. "I'm just gonna freshen up" I say, glancing at the clock. He nods and heads back to the table while I run into the bathroom.

I head straight for a cubicle and lock it quickly. "Jeez Ria" I groan at myself. "Ain't as if you haven't had to deal with Jake and his moods before. Get a grip girl." The door opens and I stop talking to myself quickly. "Did you see her?" a voice asks. "Fuck yeah" another girl chuckles. "Damn, what the hell is he doing with her? I mean, this is Dean Ambrose, the guy could have any girl he wants, why her?" "God knows" the other girl says as I hear two doors close. "I bet we can get his attention while she's busy tonight anyway." "Damn true" one laughs. I've heard enough. I creep out of the cubicle and run back out into the bar. "Ria!" Jake yells from the bar. I look across and he shrugs at me. "I'm kinda stuck here!" he says serving another customer. "You'll have to start on your own. But not anything we've got on the set list, ok?" I nod and make my way onto the stage. Jon looks up at me and I shake my head at him. He frowns. "Ria?" he asks. I shake my head again, watching as the girls walk out of the bathroom. Damn, they're pretty. Jon sees me looking and looks quickly before looking back at me. Before he can say anything I've taken a deep breath and grabbed the microphone.

"Hey guys" I say, smiling. "So, as you can probably tell, Jake is kinda tied up at the moment, but he won't be long. So, I thought I'd give you a little song while we wait. Now, as a few of you know, I like to keep my personal life, well, personal. But, apparently who I'm dating is now public knowledge, and everyone has an opinion on it. Which is fine by me, seriously. So anyway, after hearing some shit I really didn't need to hear, I figured I'd give you this one. Excuse the lack of music, like I said, rush job." I sit on the edge of the stage and start to sing TLC's "Unpretty". When I get to the chorus, Jon looks at me.

You can buy your hair if it won't grow

You can fix your nose if he says so

You can buy all the make up

That M.A.C. can make

But if you can't look inside you

Find out who am I too

Be in the position to make me feel

So damn unpretty

I'll make you feel unpretty too

The girls stare at me and I smirk at them. When I finish Jon walks to the edge of the stage. "What the fuck?" he asks quietly. I shake my head and kiss him softly. "Dealt with" I say looking at him, then looking over at the girls. They put their heads down and I smile. "Ria 1, bullies nil" I say. Jon smiles and kisses me before heading back to the table. Jake finally bounces up onto the stage and I smile. "Nicely done" he whispers as he grabs a microphone. "I heard them at the bar. You dealt with that better than I would have." I smile. "Hey guys" he says into the microphone. "Nice little warm up from Ria there, now let's do this properly." he launches into Nickelback's "Photograph" while I sit on the speaker and sing along. The crowd goes mad when he finishes, even the WWE guys are cheering like mad. "Oooooh Jakey" I say walking over to him. "I think we got some rockers here tonight!" He smiles. This is the crowd we've been waiting for. "Ria's turn to go all rock chick on us I think" Jake says to the crowd. Jon cheers and yells as I laugh. "Ok ok" I say putting my microphone on the stand. Jake sorts the music for me and I grin as it starts. The Pretty Reckless. Make Me Wanna Die. Perfect. I smile as I sing, watching Brie and Nikki dancing at the table, trying to get Emily to smile but that's never gonna happen, she's too busy watching Colby watching me. I finish the song and Jake smiles. After a few more songs Pete does a drink signal and I smile. "Break time guys n gals" I say. "Catch you in a few." I jump off the stage straight into Jon's arms. "You're perfect" he whispers, kissing me.


	23. Chapter 23

Jon makes me take his seat while he goes to the bar to get everyone's drinks. I smile nervously, worried about what their reaction will be. "Ria" Nick says. "I thought you were shy, and quiet?" "I am, Nick" I say. He shakes his head. "No way" he says. "Not up there. Up there, you own that stage. You're like two different people!" I smile. "I'm just more confident singing, that's all" I say. "If I have a problem, I sing it out." Kristen nods. "She ain't lying" she says. "No matter what time of day it is. When we lived together, she would sing at 3am if it got her through." I smile weakly as Jon walks over balancing a tray on one hand. "I swear if that lands on me you're homeless" I groan. He smiles and holds it with both hands to put it on the table. He hands a drink to Jake with a warning look and Jake nods. Clearly something has been said at the bar. I'll find out later, I always do. I sit and laugh with the girls for a bit until Jake calls me back onstage. "Slowing it down then dancing it up?" he asks. I nod. He grins and grabs the microphone. "We're back!" he announces as his little groupies cheer for him. "We've got a few for the lovers in here tonight" he says. "Sorry Jon, Ria has to work, no doubt she'll make it up to you later." I groan into the microphone as they all laugh and nudge him. The music starts for our duet and I smile. Tonight he's chosen Pink, Just Give Me A Reason. We do our usual routine of singing from opposite ends of the stage, meeting in the middle by the time the song ends. Jon is the first one on his feet. I smile and start singing my next song practically straight away.

"So who's ready to dance?" I ask as Pete does the wind down signal finally. I nod and look back to the girls from the bathroom. They're nudging each other to ask Jon to dance. I groan then laugh as Jake starts the music for my last song. "Really?" I ask looking at him. He nods, laughing. "Ok" I say, singing Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass". Jon grins at me as I get down off the stage and dance around the table as I sing. I give up and sit on his lap, earning myself evil looks from the girls. Nikki and Brie get up and dance around and I try not to laugh as they pull me up with them. They know the dance so we all do it as I sing. Jon, John and Bryan all sit and watch. I laugh as we finish and the girls sit back down. Jake reaches out for my microphone and I hand it to him with a frown. "Just be with him Ria" he whispers. "So guys" he says into the microphone. "That was Ria's last one for the night. The last song of the night is mine though. So grab the one you love, drag them out onto that dancefloor and give Jake some love." I smile as Jon grabs me straight away, pulling me out into the dancefloor. We're the first ones out there and I can feel that we're being watched. The music starts for Jake's last song. All Of Me. John Legend. Jon smiles and holds me tightly. "Perfect song" he whispers, kissing me softly. I smile and put my head on his chest as we sway slowly. He makes me look up at him and kisses me softly. "I love you" he whispers. I smile and kiss him needily, pulling his head down to me and running my fingers through his hair. I know the girls are watching so I make sure to give them a good show. Jake finishes singing and Jon pulls me back to the table.

"A word" Emily says, staring at me. I look at Colby and he looks embarrassed. I shake my head and look back at Emily. "Whatever you've got to say to me can be said here" I say. "I've got nothing to hide from anyone here." "Ok" she says shrugging. "You and Colby. So you fucked a few times. Get over it." "Uh, hello" I say, raising my hand to show her that Jon still has hold of it. "Emily, if anyone needs to get over the fact that Colby and I have history, it's you." Colby looks at me quickly. "No" she says shaking her head. "I know you set it up for those fans to see you together at the arena. I don't know how, but I know you did." I groan. "For fuck sake Emily" I say. "I am with Jon. The fans saw that and tweeted that they were wrong about Colby and I. Why are you being like this anyway? If it wasn't for that tweet, you wouldn't be engaged right now." Colby looks at me in horror. "Ah the wedding" Emily says smirking. "By the way, you're not invited." "Wait a god damn second Em!" Colby suddenly pipes up. "It's my wedding too, and I want Ria there." Emily shakes her head, suddenly crying. "No Colby" she says. "I'm not having her there." "You know what?" Colby says standing up. "Do what you want." She smiles slyly at me and I grin. "Emily" he says walking off. "Do what you want, cos I won't be there either. There is no wedding. We're done." Everyone watches him go then looks at Emily. She shakes her head as she glares at me. "You" she says. "This is all you." "How exactly is this all me?" I ask. "I'm with Jon. I've done nothing with Colby, well, not since that night anyway. This one is all you Emily. If you want someone to blame, I suggest you go find a mirror and look in it, cos the person who stares back at you with a face full of self pity is the real culprit in all this." I shake Jon's hand off mine and head out after Colby.


	24. Chapter 24

He's sat in my spot in the beach. "Hey" I say quietly. He looks around and groans. "I am so sorry Mariana" he says. "I can't believe she would do that in front of everyone." "That's my fault Colby" I say pointing at the sand. He nods and I sit next to him, hugging my knees. "I told her I had nothing to hide" I say. "And I don't. I'm with Jon. Nothing will change that." He nods. "You're good together" he says quietly. "He, well, he would do anything for you Riana. Anything. Joe and I, we saw this coming. After a few days of being with you, you were all he spoke about. We watched as he fell in love with you, we saw it happening. We never thought we would see the day the great Jon Good fell in love. But I'm glad it was with you, and I'm glad he makes you happy. You deserve to be happy. The only regret I have is that it's not with me." I nod slowly. "He does make me happy" I say. "Who knows, Colby, in another time, place, universe, maybe you and I would have worked. But this isn't our time." He nods. "Guess it's not my time with Emily either, huh?" he asks. I look at him and we both laugh. "Jeez Colby" I say wiping my eyes. "What the fuck happened there?" "Rebound" he says simply. I groan. "No way sunshine" I say. "Nuh uh, not getting the blame for that one! I hope you haven't got a rabbit!" He laughs. "I hid it before we came out" he says. "Just in case. I hid the big pan too." That does it, this time we are literally rolling around laughing.

"Look at them Kris" Jon says, smiling as they watch Colby and I laugh. Kristen nods, looking at him. "You ok with that?" she asks. He nods, frowning. "Why wouldn't I be?" he asks. "I'm not Emily. I know they've got history, and I know they're friends. I can deal with that. It's me she's coming home with, it's me she lives with. It's me she's falling in love with." "Falling?" Kristen asks, looking at him. "Jon, she's already there. I know she hasn't told you yet, but I can tell. She's just, well, wary, she feels like she's betraying Rico." Jon nods thoughtfully. "I get that" he says finally. "I really do. He was such a huge part of her life. And I'm not trying to take his place, I'm really not. I'll wait as long as she needs me to. I really fucking love her Kris." She smiles. "That's all she needs" she says, watching as Colby and I finally control our laughter and sit back up. "Come on, let's go join the party." Jon nods and they walk over to where Colby and I are wiping our eyes.

"Hey" Jon says sitting next to me and holding my hand. "What's going on?" Colby and I look at each other and burst out laughing again. "Bunny boiler" I manage to splutter. Kristen catches on straight away and starts laughing. "Sorry Colby" she says. "But she really does seem the type!" I nod. "Wait a second" I say. "How exactly did you propose?" He groans. "I fucking didn't!" he says. "All I said to her was there was nothing in that twitter picture that said that you and I were together, that we never would be because you're with Jon, and I was with her, that was all that mattered to me. So, in her mind, that translates as, I'm not with Ria, marry me!" I laugh. "Jeez Colby you can sure pick them!" I say. He looks at me and smiles. "I normally do ok for myself" he says quietly. I smile as Jon wraps his arms around me. "Toots" he whispers. "You're shivering. Wanna go home?" I nod as I look up at him. "First night in our home together" I say quietly. He nods. "Can't wait" he says kissing me softly. I smile and stand up, brushing the sand from my ass. Jon holds his hand out and I take it, smiling. We wave to Colby and Kristen and make our way back up the beach.

He takes the keys from me as we walk up the steps to the apartment. "Allow me" he says, bowing as he opens the door. I laugh and walk into the apartment dumping my bag on the sofa as I wait for him to shut the door and lock up. "You ok?" he asks, walking over and wrapping his arms around me. I nod, cuddling into him. "Ria" he says. "What happened at Pete's?" I groan, pulling out of his embrace and sitting on the sofa. "Jake was pissed" I say looking at him. "He's convinced that the only reason the bar was that full tonight was for people to check me out, see if I'm good enough for you." He shakes his head. "No" he says, sitting next to me. "They were there because you guys are damn good at what you do." I smile. "I'm starting to think he was right" I say quietly. "When I was in the bathroom, those girls came in, bitching about how I'm not good enough for you and how they were gonna get your attention while I was busy." "So that's why you sang Unpretty first" he says quietly. I nod. "They made me feel like shit Jon" I admit. He shakes his head. "I'm here" he says. "With you. I will only ever be with you." I smile and nod, standing up. "Come on" I say pulling him up. "Let's go to bed." He smiles and kisses me as he stands. "Thought you'd never ask" he says, pulling me into the bedroom.


	25. Chapter 25

"Wow!" I pant, kissing him before checking the time. 4am. "Jon" I groan. "I need to sleep. I have court tomorrow." He groans, kissing my neck. "But baby" he whispers. "It's my first night here, I mean, properly here." "I know Jon" I laugh kissing him back. "But we have tomorrow night, and the night after that, and the night after that." He looks away and I groan. "We don't, do we?" I ask quietly. He shakes his head. "We have Raw tomorrow" he says. "In Missouri." I nod slowly. "Ok" I say, cuddling into him. "I guess this is something I'm just gonna have to get used to." He nods. "I don't think I want you to get used to it" he admits. "You being used to me leaving, it's not a good sign." I nod. "That bit I won't get used to" I say. "I promise you." He smiles and hugs me. "Sleep Ria" he says kissing my head. I nod and turn over, smiling as he wraps his arms around me from behind. I just wish sleeping was that easy.

It seems like I've been asleep for five minutes when the alarm goes off. Jon instinctively wraps his arms around me tighter. "Don't leave me Ria" he whispers. I roll over and kiss him softly. "I have to" I whisper. "Believe me, I don't want to, but I have to work Jon. We need to have a place to live." He chuckles. "Toots" he says. "We can still live here whether you work or not." I shake my head and kiss him before getting up. He groans as I walk into the bathroom. "Damn woman, put some clothes on" he moans. I laugh and start the shower as I clean my teeth. I grab a towel and stand under the warm spray, running my hands through my hair. Hands on my waist make me jump. "Damn Jon" I moan as he pulls me against him. He kisses my neck then spins me around to face him. "I love you Mariana Lopez" he moans, pulling my leg up over his hip and sliding into me slowly. I smile and kiss him as he grabs my other leg, wrapping it around his waist. "Damn Jon" I moan. He smiles, circling his hips and driving me crazy. "Oh Ria" he moans, kissing my neck. I pull his head up to mine and kiss him hard. "You drive me crazy baby" he whispers. I smile and moan as he starts going harder. I moan and coax him to go faster. "Damn Ria" he moans, resting his forehead against mine as he spills into me. I smile and concentrate on getting my breath back as he puts me back down. "I wish you didn't have to go" he says looking at me. I nod, kissing him. "I do too" I whisper. "If it wasn't the start of a huge case, I'd be back in that bed with you right now. But I really do need to get ready." He nods and kisses me before grabbing the shampoo bottle and washing my hair for me. "Mmmmm" I moan as he massages my scalp. "I'm not even gonna ask how many times you've done this before." "Would you believe me if I told you this was the first?" he asks. I nod. "One night only thing, right?" I smirk. He nods, then shakes his head quickly. "Toots I'd do this every day for you" he whispers. I smile and rinse my hair before quickly washing my body. Jon watches me closely, biting his lip every now and again. "I'm glad I chose to wash your hair" he mutters. "If I'd washed anywhere else you wouldn't be leaving me." I smile and kiss him before stepping out of the shower. I grab the towel and wrap it around myself before getting one for him too. He smiles and nods as I walk into the bedroom.

I'm in just my underwear when he walks in. He stares at me for a few seconds then shakes his head and sits on the bed. "What?" I ask, frowning as I dry my hair with the towel. "I still wish you didn't have to leave" he says quietly. "I don't think I'm gonna be here when you get home." I nod slowly. Fuck. "What time is your flight?" I ask quietly. "2.30" he says. I nod. "Then no" I say carrying on with my hair. "You won't be here. I'll call you when I get home though." "Damn Ria" he growls. "How the fuck can you be ok about this?" I spin around and throw my hairbrush. "You think I'm ok with this?" I yell. "Knowing that this is the last time I'm gonna see you until when? Wednesday? And all we're doing is arguing? Great start Jon, real good. Solid relationship we have right here." I grab my clothes and head into the bathroom to get dressed. He's not in the bedroom when I come out. I take a deep breath and head into the lounge but he's not there either. I smell coffee and know he's on the balcony. I pull my shoes on, grab my bag and leave, slamming the door behind me. He yells at me off the balcony as I get on the bus. "Yeah I fucking love you too toots!" I hear as the doors close. I pretend not to hear anything and find a seat where I can't see him.

My phone beeps as I get off the bus at the courthouse. I get it out of my bag and slump against the wall as I read the text. "I know it wasn't an ideal start" I read. "It just sucks that I won't be here when you get home. I'm gonna miss you toots, I love you." I smile and put my phone back in my bag before heading in to the courthouse.


	26. Chapter 26

Kristen turns up at 2, smiling sweetly at the judge before sitting next to me quickly. "How's it going?" she whispers. I shake my head. "Still going through all the technicalities" I whisper back. "Haven't even sworn the jury in yet." She nods and stands up. "Your honour" she says. "An urgent case has come in to our office and they are asking for Ms Lopez to deal with it." I look at her as the judge looks at me. "So why are you still here?" he asks. I actually have no idea what's going on. "Airport" Kristen hisses. "Now." She hands me the keys to the guys SUV and I groan, shaking my head. "Ms Lopez?" the judge asks again. I groan and grab my bag before hurrying out of the room.

I miraculously manage to park the car and run into the airport. I show them my ID and get escorted to where the guys are just boarding their flight. Colby looks up as he takes his passport back from the attendant. He smiles then nudges Jon. Jon frowns at him then looks across the room, seeing me straight away. "Damn toots!" he groans before running over to me. "I'm sorry" I whisper, wrapping my legs around him as he picks me up. He shakes his head and kisses me slowly. "I'll call you when we land" he says, resting his head against mine. "I love you Ria." I nod and kiss him gently before he goes back to the guys. I wait until the plane takes off before heading back to the car.

Kristen walks into the apartment around 6pm. I look up at her and she groans. "Not already Ria" she whispers sitting on the other sofa. I nod and pull the blanket around myself tightly. "I miss him" I whisper. "Its only been a few hours and I miss him so much." She nods. "I know" she says quietly. "I mean, I miss Joe too, but with everything that happened with Rico this has gotta be extra hard for you." I nod. "He called to let me know they landed safely" I say, and Kris smiles. "I knew he would" she says. "He really does think the world of you Ria. He knows that this is hard for you with all of his travelling." I nod, frowning as my phone beeps. "Ambrose arrived at the arena minus his girlfriend" I read. "Trouble in paradise already?" I groan and show Kristen. She smirks. "Clearly haven't seen what Colby tweeted then have they?" she asks getting her phone out of her bag. I frown as she hands it to me. "The long kiss goodbye" I read, and groan when I see the picture. Jon and I kissing in the airport, my legs wrapped around him. Kristen laughs. "Welcome to the world of dating a superstar" she says. I look at her and frown. "Why don't they do this with you and Joe?" I ask. She smiles. "Do I look stupid enough to go to the arena?" she asks. "You wanna be with Jon, they're gonna find out. Besides, I don't think anyone can believe that Jon would actually settle down and be in a relationship. He's not exactly known for being a one woman guy." I groan. "Jeez Kris" I say. "Way to make a girl feel special!" She looks at me and laughs. "Ria you fool" she says. "He's gone public with your relationship, he's told you he loves you numerous times even though you've yet to say it back to him, what exactly makes you think he's not committed to this?" I shrug. "Exactly" she says. "Jon is in this for the long haul. It's time you realised it." I nod and look at her. "I've been so stubborn haven't I?" I ask quietly. She nods. "Yeah" she says. "Now, get outta this funk you're in will you? Come in, let's go eat at Pete's, then we can come home and see the guys." I frown. "What?" I ask. "They're not home till Wednesday Kris." She groans. "Ria" she says. "Your man is a wrestler. You need to get that into your head. A wrestler. On tv." I suddenly catch on. "What the fuck are we waiting for?" I yell, throwing the blanket and running into the bedroom to get changed as she laughs at me.

"Mariana" Pete says smiling as we walk in. "Thought you would be away with Jon." I shake my head. "Too much work Pete" I say, sliding onto a stool. "Besides, we only came here to eat, we're going home to watch the show." He smiles, looking at Kristen. "Finally realised she can still see him when he's away has she?" he asks. They both laugh. "Took her a while" she admits. "Quit picking on me" I groan, looking around the bar. I groan as I see the girls from the bathroom. "They live here or something?" I ask Pete. He grins. "Paying customers Ria" he says wiping the bar down. "I can't ban them just because they slated you." "You should" I mumble as he laughs. Kristen orders our food and we head for a booth to wait.

"Quick! Put the tv on!" I say as we get back in the apartment. Kris laughs and turns the tv on as I head into the kitchen for drinks. "I can't believe you're actually going to watch wrestling" she says, slumping onto the sofa. "I'm not" I say heading back in to the lounge with the drinks. "I'm watching my boyfriend." She laughs quickly then stops as the programme starts. I sit down and curl up in the blanket again. She shakes her head then turns her attention back to the tv. The guys open the show and you could hear a pin drop in the apartment as we watch. Jon looks scary on the microphone, I seriously wouldn't mess with him while he's in Dean mode. Normal service is resumed as soon as they're off the screen. A few minutes later my phone rings and I smile. "Hey baby" I say. Jon chuckles. "Hi Ria" he says. "God I miss you being here when I get out of the ring." I smile. "You're such a sap Jon!" Kristen yells. He laughs. "She kinda got me there" he groans. "God Ria I miss you so much. We, uh, gotta go back to the ring soon, but I didn't tell you that ok?" "Ok" I whisper. "I'll speak to you later Jon. Be careful." "Always am toots" he says. "I love you." I smile as the line goes dead. "Love you too" I whisper.


	27. Chapter 27

"I heard that even if he didn't" Kristen says, looking at me as I put the phone on the table. I smirk nervously. "I can't believe I said it" I admit. "But I do. I really fucking do love him Kris." She nods, smiling. "So go tell him" she says suddenly. I frown. "Kris" I say. "It's not as if he's next door. He's in Missouri for fuck sake!" She laughs. "I know" she says. "But the case got adjourned today, so you're not in court tomorrow. Go pack a bag, I'll get your flight sorted. Go tell him you love him Ria. In person, not over the phone." I nod and stand up quickly, running into the bedroom to pack. When I come back out she hands me my phone and grabs the keys to the guys car. "I'll drive you to the airport" she says. "Come on, we don't have long." I grab my bag and follow her to the car.

"Am I doing the right thing?" I ask as we pull up at the airport. She groans. "Don't" she warns. "You are not going back on this now. Get on the freaking plane and I will speak to you when you land. I'll have the guys hotel name for you by that time." I nod and get out of the car. "Go!" she yells as I'm about to say something. I groan and run into the airport, not daring to argue with her. I check in quickly and have to run to catch the flight before it closes. I notice a text from Jon when I go to turn my phone off when I'm in my seat. "Just to let you know I'm ok" I read. "Heading to the hotel, avoiding questions from fans. Gonna stay in and order room service. I love you." I smile and turn the phone off before putting it in my bag.

Two and a half hours later and I'm in Missouri. I call Kristen as soon as I get outside the airport. "Talk to me" I groan. "Please tell me you know where they are." She laughs. "Sure do" she says, telling me the hotel name. "Jon is in 247. Go get him." I laugh. "I owe you" I say. She laughs. "Indeed you do" she says. "Have a good night tiger, I'll call you tomorrow." I say bye and end the call before flagging down a cab and jumping in, giving the hotel name. We get there in record time. I pay and take a deep breath before getting out. I call Jon from the lobby. "Hey" he says sleepily. "How are you? I was just gonna call you actually." "I'm good" I say, heading for the stairs. "I just miss you so damn much." "Oh Ria" he groans. "I miss you too, more than you will ever know. So, did you watch?" "Some" I admit. "I recorded the rest, I'll watch it later, with you, so you can talk me through it." I smile, realising I'm on the right floor. His room is right opposite me. "Jon" I say. "I need to tell you something." I cover the mouthpiece on the phone quickly as I knock on his door. "Ah fuck" he groans. "Baby there's someone at my door. Hold that thought ok?" "Ok" I say. "Believe me" he says. "I wanna know what you gotta tell me. I'll get rid of whoever it is and then I'm all yours." I smile as I hear him the other side of the door. He opens it wide, nearly slamming it in shock at seeing me the other side of it. "Ria" he says into his phone. "I'll call you back." He hangs up and throws his phone onto his bed. "Uh hi" he says, smirking as he runs his hand through his hair. "Is this important? Only I was on the phone to the most beautiful woman, and I kinda need to call her back. She has something to tell me." I nod. "I know what she wanted to say" I say. He looks at me and smiles. "So spill toots" he says. "You gonna make me do this out here?" I ask, looking up and down the corridor. He smiles and opens the door wide enough for me to go in. As soon as the door is closed I'm in his arms. He kisses me softly then more demanding. "Fuck Ria" he moans. I put my finger on his lips. "My turn" I whisper. "Jon. I love you." He looks at me in shock, and suddenly the tears are running down his face. "Ria" he moans. "Don't feel as if you have to say it just because I have..." I shake my head. "I've known it all along" I admit. "But tonight, you not being there, and not being able to just pick the phone up to talk to you, I couldn't deal with it. I love you Jon, so damn much." He moans and carries me to the bed, laying me on it gently. "Show me" he says simply. I smile and pull him down to me. He moans and holds me tightly. "I love you" he whispers. "I love you too" I whisper back. "Ria" he whispers. "You don't know how much hearing you say those words actually means to me. Really." I kiss him and he pulls me over on top of him. "I do" I say. "Because I know how much it means to me when you say them. I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with or anything..." He laughs. "Baby" he says. "Compared to Colby you're an angel!" I laugh and he pulls me down to him, kissing me until we switch places, him on top of me. "Now" he says huskily. "You gonna show me how much you love me or what?"


	28. Chapter 28

My phone beeping wakes me the next morning. I groan and open my eyes, realising straight away Jon is gone. I grab my phone. Twitter. "Well well well" I read. "Ambrose having a cigarette with a smile on his face. Someone must have had a good night last night. Wonder who with." I laugh and put the phone back on the bedside locker before getting out of bed. I look around and smile, grabbing one of his shirts and pulling it on before grabbing a pair of shorts out of my bag. I tidy my hair up a bit and rush down to the lobby. Jon is still outside, surrounded by a group of girls. I smirk and walk out to him, wrapping my arms around him from behind. "Hey no touching" he says harshly. "I'm very happily taken." "And I'm very happy to hear it" I say in his ear. "But I woke up and you were gone. I missed you." He spins around quickly. "Damn toots" he moans, dipping his head and kissing me. I moan and pull him closer, finally breaking the kiss. "Question answered girls?" I smirk as he holds my hand. Jon looks confused as one girl looks away sheepishly. I show him the tweet and he laughs. "Jeez am I that predictable?" he groans. I laugh. "Obviously" I say kissing him. "Don't you smile any other time?" The girls laugh. "Ambrose doesn't smile" one says. "Oh he does" I say looking up at him. "Shhhhh toots" he whispers. "You're ruining my bad guy image!" I laugh and pull my hand out of his. "I'll just head back inside and let you be the bad guy then" I say. He grabs me straight away. "You're going nowhere without me" he says. "Is that my shirt?" I look down and laugh. "Oooops" I say, shrugging. He shakes his head and kisses the top of my head. "You're lucky I love you" he says. Uh oh. The girls hear it and look at me quickly. "Time to go in" I say quickly. He nods and throws his cigarette butt away before following me back inside. He pulls me into the restaurant and makes me sit down before he disappears, returning minutes later with breakfast. "You ain't going back up there until you eat something" he warns. I nod and eat some toast as he watches. My phone vibrates across the table and he grabs it quickly. "Twitter" he says handing it to me. I groan as I open it. "She's here" I read. "Ambrose is very much in love girls." I show him and he smiles. "First honest thing I've read about myself in a while" he says. I smile and finish the toast as he eats everything else. "Ready?" he asks. I nod and he takes my hand, leading me back up to the room.

He's in the shower when there's a knock at the door. I get off the bed and open it, frowning when a guy smiles at me. "Mariana, right?" he asks. I nod slowly, still wondering who he is. "I'm Hunter" he says. "We met at the arena a few nights ago. Is Jon here?" "Oh yeah" I say opening the door wider and letting him in. "He's just in the shower. I'll call him for you now." He smiles and sits on the edge of the bed as I walk in the bathroom. "Babe" I say. "Uh, Hunter is here for you." "Ah shit!" Jon says. "I forgot the fucking meeting! Tell him I'll be right out." I nod and head back to Hunter. "I heard" he says laughing. "Guess he's had other things on his mind, right?" I smile. "Not really" I admit. "He's actually been quite quiet, which isn't like him at all." Hunter laughs as Jon walks out of the bathroom. "I am so fucking sorry" he groans, rubbing his hair with a towel. Hunter smiles and stands up. "No worries" he says. "Just make sure you're at the arena on time." Jon nods and looks at me. "Can we get Ria in to watch?" he asks suddenly. Hunter looks at me and smiles. "I don't see why not" he says. "There's space behind commentary, Cole will keep an eye on her for you." Jon nods and smiles at me. "Front row to see me tonight babe" he says kissing me. I frown. "Can't I just watch on tv?" I ask. Jon laughs. "Smackdown taping tonight babe" he says. "It's not aired until Friday. You can watch on tv if you like, with me?" I nod. "Ok" I say. "Guess I'd better find something respectable to wear then!" Hunter laughs as he heads for the door. "I'll let Rollins and Reigns fill you in on the meeting" he says as he opens it. "See you later Mariana." I nod and wave as he closes the door behind him.

"I love you Mariana Lopez" Jon moans, wrapping his arms around me. I smile and kiss him gently. "I love you too Jon" I whisper. He smirks. "I know" he says. "You showed me enough times last night! I'm actually surprised we're up now!" I laugh and kiss him again before sitting on the bed. "So what's the plan for today?" I ask. He looks at the clock and groans. "Gotta meet Colby and Joe in ten minutes" he says. "Then head to the arena." I nod. "I may just have a nap and come to the arena later" I say. "I mean, I know you're gonna be busy and I don't want to disturb you." "Ria" he moans. "It disturbs me more knowing that you think you disturb me. Baby I'm more disturbed when you're not around. I need you there Ria." "I'll be there Jon" I say. "But later, when the doors open. I'm not gonna sit around while you have to rush around getting things ready. I promise you I will be there for your match, ok?" He nods slowly. "I know you're right" he says. "Ok. You relax. Doors open at six. Show starts at 7.30, don't be late." "I won't" I say smiling. "I'm gonna take my time getting ready, who knows, I may even wear my own clothes!" He laughs. "I like you in my clothes" he says quietly. "Get ready Jon" I warn. He groans and grabs some clothes quickly. "Yes boss" he says, laughing at me and starting to get dressed.


	29. Chapter 29

I wake up with a jump. Wow. I frown, wondering what woke me. My phone rings again and I smile. Ah yeah. That. I grab it and smirk. "Jon" I groan. "What's wrong?" "I miss you" he says. "It's wrong, you being at the hotel and me being here. Have you slept yet?" "Yeah" I say, stretching as I look as the clock. It's 4pm. "Holy shit yeah I slept! Why didn't you wake me sooner?" "I woke you?" he asks. "Shit babe I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." "Jon" I moan. "I need longer than two hours to get ready! So yeah, you should have called sooner." He laughs. "You're such a drama queen Ria" he says huskily. "You didn't moan about me acting last night" I say, moving the phone away from my ear quickly. "What?!" he yells. "Toots that was not acting. Was it?" I laugh. "You're way too easy to wind up Jon" I say. He groans. "You're too damn convincing" he says. I laugh. "Obviously" I say. "I mean, you believed me last night..." "Did you lie when you said you love me?" he asks suddenly. "What?" I ask. "Damn Jon, no fucking way! It's taken me long enough to say it, why the fuck would I lie about that? Fuck Jon! You know how much it means for me to say those words! I can't fucking believe this!" I hang up and throw the phone across the bed. It rings again straight away. I cut the call and turn the phone off, heading into the shower for a good think and a cry.

7.25 and I'm stood outside the arena. People are walking past me, rushing to get inside. Me, I'm in no hurry. I head inside and straight away security is next to me. "Mariana?" one asks. I nod and he gestures towards the backstage area. I shake my head. "I just wanna get to my seat" I say. He nods and leads me into the arena while the other one radios backstage. Damn Jon. "Can I get you a drink or anything?" the security guys asks. I shake my head and thank him before he walks away. "VIP treatment?" a girl next to me asks. I groan and shake my head. "Pissed off boyfriend treatment" I say smiling. She smiles as I take my jacket off. "You must have pissed him off bad" she says. "I mean, to be escorted to your seat by security." I nod. "That's me" I say shrugging. "Bad girlfriend." She laughs as the Smackdown theme starts playing and the house lights go down. Music starts playing and the crowd goes wild. Including the girl next to me. I smile and look up the entrance ramp, but I'm the only one looking there. Searchlights roam the crowd as the girl notices me looking in the wrong place. She laughs as she nudges me. "Up there" she says pointing. "The Shield always come in from up there." I gulp. The Shield. Fuck. Jon. He leads Joe and Colby down the steps, my eyes following him right until he's in the ring. He climbs on the ropes in front of me, his eyes burning into me. "Damn Ambrose looks mean tonight" the girl says. I nod as he jumps down off the ropes, joining Joe and Colby in the middle of the ring. I groan as I realise he's got a microphone in his hand. He really is mean. "One of the worst things you could do" he growls menacingly. "Is to cross us. Make enemies of us. Hell, even talk to us. But Evolution continue to get in our way. They never learn. But, now it's time for them to learn their lesson. The hard way." Joe chuckles into his microphone and starts talking, but I don't pay attention to him. Jon is all twitchy, walking around the ring and glancing over at me every so often. "Something has pissed Ambrose off" the girl says suddenly. "And I don't mean Evolution. He's just not right tonight." I nod absently as I watch him. More music starts and he smirks. "Uh oh" the girl squeals. "Evolution." I look up the entrance ramp and see Randy, Hunter and some other guy walking down. "Bathroom" I say quickly, standing up and running out of the arena.

10pm. My phone is still off. I know he's gonna be pissed. Real pissed. I hear a keycard being slid into the lock and quickly roll over in the bed, my back to the door. The light is turned on, then off again quickly. He groans. "Damn Ria" he whispers, sitting on the bed behind me and stroking my hair. I stare at the wall. "I'm sorry" he whispers. "I'm such a fucking ass! No wonder I don't do relationships. I know you love me, I know you weren't acting last night, and, well, I know you're awake now so roll over toots." I groan and roll over to face him. "Why did you run?" he asks straight away. I shrug. "The girl next to me said you looked pissed" I say quietly. "She said that it wasn't just Evolution that had pissed you off. I knew it was because I hung up on you. I needed you to be able to concentrate in the ring, especially with Randy and Hunter. Giving me the stare down every two seconds wouldn't have helped you. So I came back here." He nods and kisses my head. "You're right" he says finally. "I just didn't want you getting injured because you weren't paying attention" I whisper. He smiles. "Toots" he says wrapping his arms around me. "Next time, you're staying in the locker room." I smile and cuddle into him. "Uh Jon" I groan. "Can you get that swat vest off? I know I asked if we could take it home but damn it hurts!" He laughs and gets off the bed, stripping quickly before throwing the covers back and getting into bed with me. "Better?" he asks as I cuddle into him again. "Much" I whisper, kissing his chest. "Good" he whispers. "But my mouth is up here." He puts his fingers under my chin and lifts my head up, kissing me gently.


	30. Chapter 30

I watch his chest rise and fall as he sleeps, his breathing even and quiet, the blanket barely covering his modesty. My eyes roam up and down his glorious body, taking in every muscle, every scar. How on earth did I get so lucky? Why does this man love me? He's godlike, worshipped by millions of women around the planet. And he's mine. All mine. "Could you stop staring?" he growls. "I'm not dead." I wince as his words hit home. No, he's not dead. That's Rico. His eyes fly open and he looks at me quickly. "Fuck Ria!" he moans, reaching for me. "I'm so sorry, I just didn't think..." I nod and let him pull me to him, let him rest my head on his chest, let him stroke my hair until I forget what he said. I don't want it to be this way, him having to always be careful of what he says. "It's fine" I whisper hoarsely. "Really Jon, it's fine." "No it's not" he says kissing my head. "It was fucking stupid of me. Fucking insensitive jerk." I shake my head. "Forget it Jon" I say. "It was an honest mistake. It happens." he shakes his head and makes me look at him. "I hurt you" he whispers. "That's something I never, ever, want to do." "it's good Jon" I say. "I promise you. Just forget it now. Go back to sleep..." My phone rings and we both groan. "Kris?" I ask, answering it. "Yeah" she says. "I am so sorry to have to do this Ria. Hun, your apartment, it's been trashed." "Woah what?" I ask sitting up. Jon frowns at me. "The apartment" she says again. "It looks like a freaking bomb went off in here. Jeez Ria, I'm so sorry, I went down to Pete's for an hour and when I got back to the guys apartment your door was ajar so I went in. From what I can see, nothing is missing, just mainly smashed up." "Fuck" I groan. "Ok, I'll, uh, get a flight home now and I'll see you soon." "Ok, bye Ria" she says and hangs up. I throw the phone onto the bed and start grabbing my clothes. "Where are you going?" Jon asks quickly. "The apartment got trashed" I say, throwing my clothes into my bag. "I need to get home, and kill someone." "Emily" Jon groans.

Four hours later we're walking up the stairs to the apartment. Slowly. Filled with dread at what we're going to find. Kristen is on the landing. "Hey" she says quietly. I smile at her and head straight for the door. Glass crunches under my converse as I step into the apartment. "Wow" I mutter. "Give the girl credit, she did a good job." Jon groans as he steps in behind me. "Police have been" Kristen says from the doorway. "No prints, apart from the obvious ones." "It's ok" I say kissing Jon and pushing past him and Kristen. "I'll be right back." "Mariana!" Jon yells as I run down the stairs. I ignore him and keep running until I'm at Pete's. "Ria?" he asks as I burst through the doors. I nod and look around the bar. She's sat in a booth alone. "I wondered how long it would take you" she says quietly. "You fucking crazy bitch!" I scream, running across the room at her. "Why? Why my apartment? Jon and I have literally just made it a home and you trash it! Why?" "You" she says simply. "You trashed my relationship." "No you crazy cow!" I yell. "You trashed your relationship, with your freaky suspicions about Colby and I! I'm with Jon! I love Jon! What the fuck is your problem?" "Yeah" she sneers. "You love Jon, alright, I get it. But Colby, well, Colby loves you, Ria. Only you." I groan and slump onto the bench next to her. "If you believe that you're crazier than even I give you credit for" I say, looking at her. "He was marrying you, Em, what does that tell you?" "He was marrying me because you and Jon were so far into something the two of you couldn't even see, it drove Colby crazy" she says. "All he ever went on about was how much Jon thought of you, and how he was sure you were in love with Jon. Constantly. Ria and Jon. Jon and Ria. I thought marrying him would be the end of it, but no, he even wanted you at the wedding..." "We're friends Emily" I say. "You need to... Actually, no, you don't need to get over that, you need to get over Colby, and stop taking this all out on me. I have done nothing. Nothing." We both look over to the doors as two policemen walk in. She looks at me, tears in her eyes. "Fuck" she whispers. "Please Ria, please, don't do this." "Sorry Emily" I say simply, standing up and walking over to them. "She's over there" I say, pointing at the booth. As they head over to her, I head home to Jon.

"Hi" he whispers, walking straight to me as I walk in the apartment. He's tidied. He's actually tidied a lot. I smile. "Hi" I whisper back as he wraps his arms around me. Nothing can hurt me when I'm in his arms. It's my haven. "I, uh, made a start on the clean up job" he says. "But I'm tired, and I know you gotta be tired too. So we should sleep first and do this later." I nod and start to walk to the bedroom. He pulls me back, shaking his head. "It's kinda uninhabitable in there" he says. "Luckily, I have just the place next door." "Jon" I say looking up at him. "I've been in your room, I'm pretty sure mine is more habitable than that!" He laughs. "Babe" he says. "I moved my mess in here! Next door is a palace compared to that room through there. Come on." I nod and let him lead me to the guys apartment. He pulls me straight through the lounge, straight into his room. His old room. It's bare. Unwelcoming. But he's here, so it's bearable. "I love you" I whisper, hugging him tightly. He groans. "I love you too toots" he says kissing my head. "Believe me, I love you too."


	31. Chapter 31

Shouting wakes me the next morning. Loud. Very loud. Jon. Colby. Kristen. Oh shit. I grab my clothes and pull them on quickly, running for the door. "Ria! Help me!" Kris yells as soon as she sees me. I look over and run to them quickly. "Get off him Jon!" I yell, pulling Jon away from Colby. "This is all his fault!" he yells. "I warned him not to lead her on anymore, and what does he do? Propose to her! We all knew he had no intention of marrying her! And it's our apartment that gets trashed because of some stupid idea Emily has in her head that it's all your fault. That ain't right Ria, it ain't right at all!" "And hitting Colby solves this how?" I ask simply, looking at him. "It doesn't" he replies. "But it makes me feel a hell of a lot fucking better!" I groan and pull his arm, leading him to our apartment. "I know another way to make you feel better" I say, closing the door behind us. He watches as I lock it and turn back to him. "Toots" he mumbles. I shake my head and look him in the eye as I pull my shirt over my head, watching his reaction as I throw it at him then start unbuttoning my jeans. He bites his lip as he watches me slide them down my legs. His eyes grow dark as I hook my fingers under the waistband of my underwear. "Don't" he growls, closing the space between us in a few strides. I look up at him as his mouth crashes onto mine. He pulls my underwear down and then concentrates on my bra. It's on the floor in seconds. "Oh fuck Ria" he moans, sliding his shorts down and picking me up, wrapping my legs around him before pushing me against the front door. "Jon!" I moan as he pushes into me. He shakes his head and kisses me again, making speech impossible. I kiss him back hungrily, moaning as he pulls away from me. "I love you" he moans, squeezing my ass tightly as he spills inside me. "I love you too" I whisper, resting my forehead against his. He smiles and puts me down slowly. "You're right" he says suddenly. "That did make me feel better!" I laugh as I pull my clothes back on. He winks and pulls his shorts on before starting the big cleanup operation.

Two hours later and the apartment is habitable again. Jon is sweeping the floor when my phone rings. I grab it quickly, groaning when I see the office number showing up. "Hey" I say, answering it. "Ria" Max says. "Sorry to do this on your day off, but you're needed at the police station. We've got nobody spare here to take the case." I groan. "On my way" I say. I end the call as Jon looks at me. "What's wrong?" he asks. "Gotta go play lawyer" I groan, heading to the bedroom. I pull out a skirt and blouse quickly and take them into the bathroom to get changed. When I come out, Jon is sitting on the bed. "Damn you look hot in office clothes" he moans. I laugh and pull my heels on quickly. "As much as I'd like to stay and model them for you" I say, leaning forward and kissing him. "Some poor idiot is sat in a holding cell waiting for their lawyer. We'll continue this when I get home. I love you." I kiss him softly and he moans. "Love you too Mariana" he whispers. I smile, grab my bag and head for the police station.

I flash my ID as I walk through the doors. The officer nods and opens the door to the back of the station for me straight away. I frown when I realise she can barely look at me. We've always got on ok, always had a few jokes to share. Never has she been like this. I shrug it off and make my way to the booking desk. "Lopez" a voice says. I smile and turn around. "Hey Charles" I say hugging him. He's a big burly officer, close to retirement but he won't have any of it. "Mariana" he says softly. "I can't believe they sent you for this one..." "What?" I ask, pulling back and looking at him. Then it clicks. "Is that why Julia had a problem with me?" I ask. He nods slowly. "What have we got?" I ask warily. "DUI" he says carefully. "Hit a car from behind, shunted into rush hour traffic. Mother and six month old baby DOA." I shake my head, realising my whole body is shaking. "I can't" I say, shaking my head. "I can't represent someone like that. Not now. I can't be impartial." He nods. "We know" he says, hugging me again. "Thats why we're surprised they sent you." I nod and grab my phone. "Kris" I say as soon as she answers. "I'm at the station. Can you take over?" "Ria?" she asks. "You never pass up a case. What's wrong?" "I'll explain when you get here" I say quietly. "Can you get Jon to bring you so he can take me back home?" "Sure" she says. "I'll be there as quick as I can." She ends the call and I put my phone in my bag. "Sit" Charles orders. "You look like you're gonna pass out. Sit, Ria!" I nod and fumble for the seat behind me. "I'm ok Charles" I say quietly. He goes to say something then stops. There's shouting coming from the cells. "Where's my fucking lawyer?" a man yells. Yells? More like slurs. I stand up and walk to the end of the row. He doesn't see me, but I smell him from where I am. He smells about 90% proof. "Sleep it off, wise guy!" I yell down to him. "You'll get your lawyer when you've had time to think about what you've done!" Charles pulls gently on my arm and I nod as he leads me back to the seat.

"Damn Ria you look like shit!" Kristen says as she walks up to the desk. I smile weakly. "Ah, my best friend" I say smiling. "Always there to make me feel good about myself." She smiles. "Jon is here for that" she says hugging me. "So what's the deal?" "DUI" I say looking at her. "Guy back there, about 90% proof, shunted a car into rush hour traffic, mother and baby DOA. I can't do that Kris, I'm sorry." She growls. "What the fuck was Max thinking sending you?" she asks hugging me. I shake my head. "Does Max ever think?" I ask. She shakes her head, smiling. "Go to Jon" she says, hugging me. I nod and stand up. Charles holds my hand and walks with me to the car. Jon jumps out as soon as he sees us walk out of the station. "Ria?" he asks softly. Charles shakes his head. "Take her home boy" he says. "Take care of her, she's gonna need it today." They watch as I get into the car. "What's happened?" Jon asks quietly. Charles shakes his head. "I'll never get over the stupidity of some people" he says. "40 years in this job and this is the first time this has happened to me. Her incompetent boss, the dumbass. She'll tell you when she's ready lad, just go look after her. I'll call later to check on her. You've got a good one there." Jon nods, smiling. "Indeed I do" he says. "And she's got a good one in you, clearly. Thank you for looking after her." "She makes it easy to do" Charles says smiling. "Go, take her home." Jon nods and gets in the car. "You ok?" he asks softly, watching as Charles makes his way back into the station. I nod, fighting back the tears. "Just take me home Jon" I ask quietly. He nods and starts the car, pulling out of the station and getting us home in record time.


	32. Chapter 32

He cuts the engine as soon as he parks, taking a deep breath before looking at me. "Ria?" he asks. I shake my head. "Jon, could you, uh, take me to the office?" I ask. He frowns but nods, starting the car straight away. We drive in silence, and as soon as we pull up at the building I jump out of the car. He yells after me but I run in. If I let him stop me I won't do it. Everyone looks at me as I walk into the office. I force a smile and head straight for Max's office. "Ria" Julie, his secretary, warns. I shake my head and push past her, walking straight into his office. He looks up at me in shock. "I'll call you back" he says into the phone, putting it down quietly before looking at me. "How could you?" I ask, the tears finally falling. "How the fuck could you send me to deal with that?" Max looks at me, frowning. "Deal with what?" he asks. "All they said was they needed a bloody good lawyer, I sent you. What did I do wrong?" "Sir!" Julie yells. "You can't go in there!" "She's my girlfriend!" Jon growls. "And she's upset! I can go wherever I want!" He pushes past her and walks in as I start talking. "You sent me" I say. "To a DUI. The guy is about six times over the limit Max." "And you can't defend him because?" he asks. I look up at him quickly. "Because" I growl. "He shunted a fucking car into rush hour traffic! Mother and six month old baby DOA! That a good enough fucking reason for you?" Max groans. "Shit Ria" he says standing up and walking to me. "I'm so fucking sorry..." "It's too late for sorry Max" I say, slapping his hands away from me. "I'm done. I quit." I throw my ID on his desk and walk out, closely followed by Jon.

"Ria!" he calls as soon as we're outside. I stop and let him pull me into his arms. "Come on" he says quietly. "Let's get you home." I nod and walk to the car, getting in as soon as he opens the door. The ride back home is silent too. He watches as I slide out of the car and make my way up to the apartment. He's behind me before I get to the door. "Here" he says unlocking it and letting me go in. He locks it behind him and holds my hand, leading me into the bedroom. "Come on" he says, lying on the bed and pulling me down next to him. I nod and cuddle into him. "Don't shut me out Ria" he begs. "Not now. We're a team, ok? No secrets." I nod and look up to him. "I'm sorry" I whisper. He shakes his head. "Do not apologise" he says. "But I just quit my job Jon" I say. He looks at me. "I know" he says. "And I'm so fucking proud of you for doing that." "Jon" I say. "The apartment..." "We ain't losing this place toots" he says laughing. "Far from it, ok? Our home is safe, I promise you." I nod and cuddle back into him. "Love you" I whisper. He chuckles and kisses my head. "Love you too" he says.

A gentle snore wakes me. I stifle a laugh and gently pull myself out of his arms, heading for the shower. I've been in there for about five minutes when I feel him behind me. "I could get used to waking up like this" he moans. I smile and turn around to face him. "Good" I say. "Cos you're kinda stuck with me now Ambrose." "Good" he whispers, kissing me. "Cos it's all I've wanted from the start. I love you Mariana Lopez. Truly madly deeply, and all that shit." I laugh and kiss him. "Hungry?" I ask. He smirks. "For food, doofus!" I laugh. He groans. "Sure" he finally says. I kiss him softly and moan as he pulls me against him. "Jon" I moan. "Feel what you do to me Ria" he whispers. I groan and back up against the wall, pulling him with me. He lifts me and slides into me in one easy movement. "Jesus Ria" he moans, his forehead against mine. "Fuck you feel so good!" "Harder Jon!" I beg. He groans but does as I ask. "Let go" he begs. "Oh fuck, now Ria, let go now!" I moan as we explode together, panting breathlessly. "Hot damn baby girl" he moans. "I think you might kill me if I live here much longer!" I laugh as he puts me down. "Think what you're missing when you're away" I say, winking as I grab a towel and get out of the shower. He watches as I walk into the bedroom before groaning and carrying on with his shower.

Kristen walks in as I'm cooking. "Hey" she says quietly. I smile weakly at her. "I'm sorry Kris" I say quietly. "Don't you dare apologise Ria" she warns as she hugs me. I nod, blinking back the tears again. "Damn I'm such a wimp today!" I moan. "With a damn good reason!" she says, sitting down as I quickly check Jon's eggs aren't burning. Kristen smiles as he walks into the kitchen. "Clothes Jon" I groan, laughing as he runs back to the bedroom to swap his towel for some shorts. "How are things with you two?" she asks quietly. "Ok" I say. "I'm expecting a big blowout soon though. Think that stuff with Colby was just the start of it all. He's not happy Kris, and there's nothing I can do about it." "Toots" he groans, walking into the kitchen and hugging me tightly. "I'm the happiest I've ever been, and it's all thanks to you. Colby, well, that will blow over. You don't need to worry about that, ok? Just concentrate on being a good little housewife for me." I smile and put the eggs on a plate for him. He takes it from me and heads out onto the balcony to eat. "Housewife?" Kristen asks looking at me. I look at her and nod slowly. "I quit" I say simply. "As of today, I have no job..." "Except for looking after me!" Jon calls in. We laugh. "That's a full time job right there" I say, walking out to him and kissing his head.


	33. Chapter 33

Shit. I run past Kristen into the bathroom quickly, just managing to make it before losing the contents of my stomach, which was empty to begin with. Jon is behind me in seconds. "Baby you ok?" he asks, moving my hair to one side and pressing a cool washcloth against the back of my neck. I nod weakly. "I don't know where that came from" I admit, sitting back on the floor. He looks at me, his eyes full of concern. "Any more down there?" he asks. I shake my head and he helps me up. We walk back into the kitchen to Kristen. She's on the phone. "Here she is" she says holding out the phone to me. I frown and take it from her. "Hello?" I ask. "Hey Ria" Charles says. "Just checking up on you, seeing how you are." "I'm good Charles" I say smiling as Jon hands me a glass of water. "Jon is taking care of me and, well, I quit my job, so I don't have to worry about being put in that situation again." "Oh Ria I'm sorry" Charles groans. "I should have told Max the situation before he sent you down." "It's good Charles, really" I say. "Besides, I think Jon is kinda glad I quit. I'll still come and see you, if they'll let me in!" "If they don't they'll have me to answer to" he says laughing. "Take care Ria, bye." I say bye and end the call, putting the phone on the counter.

"I'd better go" Kristen says, making a point of looking at her watch. "I have two hungry cavemen to feed next door. I'll come see you later, check you're ok." I nod and wave as she walks out followed by Jon. I take my water and head for the sofa. "You ok?" Jon asks, locking the door behind Kristen. I nod. "Just tired" I say smiling at him. He takes the water from me and waits for me to sit down. I smile and take the glass from him, having a few sips before putting the glass on the table. "I, uh, have a few things to do" he says suddenly. "I'll let you rest, and see you in a bit, ok?" I nod as he kisses my head. "Love you" he whispers before unlocking the door and letting himself out. I turn the tv on and curl up to watch whatever is on. It's not long before I'm asleep.

He's sat on the other sofa watching me when I wake up. "Hey sleepy" he says softly. "How are you feeling?" "Good" I admit. "A hell of a lot better than I felt earlier, that's for sure. Did you get everything done?" He nods slowly, not taking his eyes off me. "I've been thinking" he says suddenly. "You being sick, tired a fair bit. We, uh, haven't exactly been careful, have we? Do you think you could be...?" "No!" I say suddenly, sitting up too quickly and having to lie back down. "Damn Jon, no way!" He nods but reaches behind him, pulling out a pregnancy test. "I, uh, got one straight away" he says. "Got some funny looks when I was paying for it, but I don't care. I think we should do it." I shake my head, this time sitting up slowly. "There's no need, Jon" I whisper. He shakes his head. "Ria" he says. "Kids ain't exactly high on my list of priorities at the moment, I'm too busy for that, but if it happens, it happens, I'm not gonna be mad!" "Dammit Jon why don't you listen?" I yell, standing up. "I don't need to take the fucking test ok? Rico and I, we went through a whole bunch of tests. Always negative. So we both got tested. It's me. I can't get pregnant Jon. I can't have kids." I run through to the bedroom and slam the door behind me.

It doesn't take him long before he's walking into the bedroom. "When were you gonna tell me?" he asks. I look at him in surprise. "Oh I'm sorry!" I yell. "How about when we've been a couple for more than five fucking minutes? Or when the subject of us having kids actually comes up in the proper way? Well, never mind, it ain't gonna happen anyway. Congratulations Jon, you got yourself a defective girlfriend. Maybe you should go to the bar and grab yourself a fertile one. Don't slam the door on your way out." I turn my back on him and lie on the bed, cuddling a pillow. He finally moves what seems like hours later, but in reality is only a few minutes. "I'm going nowhere Mariana" he says quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed. "So you'd better get used to me being here, and stop trying to push me away every five minutes. It's not gonna work. I'm not leaving you. When are you gonna realise that, and that I fucking love you? I mean, really, really, love you." I wipe my eyes and roll over to face him. "But I can't..." I start. He shakes his head, wiping a stray strand of hair from my face. "What part of I'm too busy for kids didn't register?" he asks softly. "Ria, don't get me wrong, if we were pregnant now I wouldn't be mad, but I'm also not mad that we're not. Does that make sense? I want to be able to spend time with you, for us to get to know each other as a couple, to have our little fights and squabbles without having to worry about somebody else in the equation, someone who needs their mom and dad to be on the same page. I guess I'm kinda selfish like that. I want you all to myself Mariana Lopez." I smile and hug him tightly. "I'm sorry" I whisper. He shakes his head. "Hey" he says. "No apologies, ok?" I nod. "I love you Jon" I say. He smiles. "Love you too Lopez" he says, lying back on the bed with me.


	34. Chapter 34

Jon and I are sat in the lounge when Kris comes back around with Joe. "Hey guys" she says plopping into the spare sofa. Joe smiles and sits next to her. "Hi" I say quietly. Kris frowns at me then looks at the table. Jon's pregnancy test is still there. She looks at me quickly. "A word?" she asks, nodding towards the kitchen. I groan and Jon moves his arms from around me. "Go on" he whispers kissing my head. "I love you Lopez." "Sap" I whisper kissing him back. I stand up and start walking towards the kitchen. "Hey Lopez!" Jon calls. I spin around and he smirks. "Loads" he says. I smile and blow him a kiss before following Kristen into the kitchen. "Pregnancy test?" she hisses. I groan and lean against the cupboard. "I know" I whisper. "He put two and two together and came up with about seventy I think. Me being sick earlier, plus being so tired, well it equals pregnant in Jon's mind." "Have you told him?" she asks quietly. I nod slowly. "He's ok with it, I think" I say. She nods. "I could see he was ok when I walked in" she says smiling. "Ria that guy is fucking crazy about you." I smile, seeing movement the other side of the door. "As long as I don't let it slip that I used to be a man we'll be ok" I say. Kristen frowns. "What the fuck?" Jon yells walking in. Kristen realises what I did and bursts out laughing. "I knew you were listening in Jon!" I say laughing. He groans. "That was naughty" he says wrapping his arms around me. I laugh. "Not as naughty as eavesdropping!" I say. "I wasn't!" he says quickly. "Um, Joe wanted a drink. Yeah, I was getting Joe a drink..." "Don't you bring me into this Ambrose!" Joe yells from the sofa. We all laugh and Jon kisses me. "I'm ok" he says to Kristen. "I don't think I could imagine being a dad anyway, not yet, things are just too busy at the moment for us. We've got a huge storyline coming up..." "Spill!" Kris says. Jon groans and shakes his head. "No can do, sorry" he says. "Top secret, need to know basis..." "I need to know!" she groans. We laugh and Jon pulls me back into the lounge. "Kinda slipped up about the storyline. Anoa'i" he says, pulling me down onto the sofa. "You can explain it to your woman." Joe groans. "Damn Jon" he says. "She's not gonna let up until I tell her." "Damn right" Kristen says sitting next to him. "No secrets allowed!" I laugh and look up as the door opens.

"You've got a nerve coming in here" Jon growls as Colby walks in. "I came to apologise" Colby says. "I know I shouldn't have led her on. And I'm sorry that you got caught up in it all Ria. I really am." I nod. "It's ok Colby" I say. "It's done now, no amount of apologising is going to change that, so let's just forget it ok?" He nods and sits next to Joe. "Plans for tonight?" he asks. We all shrug. "Ain't got any" Jon says, looking around. "Pete's?" Colby asks. "My treat?" "Why didn't you fucking say so?" Jon asks jumping up. "Give us half an hour to get ready!" I laugh as everyone stands up. "Meet you there" I say. Kris nods and follows Joe and Colby out. I lock the door and follow Jon into the bedroom.

He's stood with his back to me. I smile and sneak in, wrapping my arms around him. "I love you" I whisper. "Love you too Lopez" he says, turning around and putting his arms around me. "Damn, I really need to stop calling you that! It sounds like I'm telling Colby I love him, which I most certainly don't!" "Are you sure?" I tease. "It sounds like you're in denial of the man love to me..." "Not. Even. Funny." he warns. I laugh and kiss him before heading to the closet to find something to wear. "These" he says, grabbing a pair of shorts. "And this." He hands me one of his shirts and I smile. "Choosing my clothes now Ambrose?" I ask. He nods, smirking at me. "Need me to dress you too?" he asks. I groan. "Baby if you dress me there's no way we're leaving here tonight" I say kissing him before pulling my top off. He bites his lip as he watches me pull his shirt on. "Damn Jon this is huge!" I groan. He smiles. "Like this" he says, pulling it up at the side and tying it in a knot. I smile and quickly pull my shorts on before he can get any ideas. He kisses me before pulling on a shirt. "Ready?" he asks. I nod. "Shoes are in the lounge" I say. he smiles and grabs my hand, pulling me to him. "I can't wait to get you back here tonight" he whispers. "Come on Romeo" I say smiling. "Let's go meet the others. The sooner we get there the sooner we can leave..." "Oooooh I like that plan" he says. I laugh and head into the lounge to grab my converse.

Ten minutes later and we're strolling into Pete's hand in hand. Kristen notices us and squeaks excitedly. "Oh my gosh!" she yells. "You two look so freaking perfect together! So cute!" I smile as Jon pulls me against him and kisses my head. "Come and sit down lovebirds" Joe calls. We laugh and head over to the booth. Colby stands when we get there. "Beer and Jack?" he asks. We nod as we sit. "Be right back" he says, heading straight for the bar. "Ok so what's the deal?" I ask quietly. "What's with this whole, my treat thing?" Jon and Joe look at each other and groan. "We're gonna have to tell them" Jon finally says. "Tell us what?" Kristen asks suspiciously. "Our storyline" Joe sighs as Colby walks over with a tray of drinks. "You can't tell anyone. It won't be until after Payback, but, well, Jon?" "We're splitting" Jon says. "The Shield is splitting up."


	35. Chapter 35

"Woah! Backup a little" Kristen says, looking round at the guys. "Wanna run that by me again?" Joe groans. "The Shield are splitting" he says. Kristen covers her ears. "La la la, can't hear you!" she yells. Joe shakes his head and pulls her hands down. "Not listening doesn't mean it won't happen baby girl" he says kissing her head. "Is that why you moved out?" she asks, looking at Jon. He groans and shakes his head. "I moved out to be with the woman I'm madly in love with" he says. "Nothing to do with storylines, this is real life." He kisses me and I smile. "So it's you?" I ask. He shakes his head and looks at Colby. "I'm the bad guy" he says holding up his hands. "So how does this work with you and Joe sharing the apartment?" I ask. They all laugh. "Ria" he says. "That's not gonna change. I mean, sure our travel arrangements have to change, we can't be seen arriving at arenas together, but the living arrangements will stay the same." I nod slowly, but Jon sees through it straight away. "We're not expecting you to understand toots" he says kissing me. "Just, well, don't worry, nothing changes, ok?" I nod and cuddle into him.

The evening passes in a blur. Soon we're all heading back to the apartments, singing our way up the road. "See you tomorrow" Kris says hugging me as Jon unlocks our door. "And forget about today. Concentrate on you and Jon. That's the important thing now. You're both good for each other Ria, anyone can see that." I smile and hug her back before heading inside. Jon says bye to the guys and locks the door quickly. He smiles at me as I flop on the sofa. "Man how do you drink so much?" I groan. "The room is spinning and I can't find my feet to take my shoes off!" He laughs loudly. "Oh toots" he groans, kneeling by the side of the sofa. I smirk at him. "On your knees for a reason there Ambrose?" I tease. He looks at me and smiles. "And if I said I was, Lopez?" he asks. "I'd say" I whisper. "Hurry up and untie my shoes so I can take the bloody things off!" He groans and pulls my shoes off quickly, staying on his knees. "Mariana Lopez" he says quietly. "You are, completely, the best thing to ever happen to me." "You're such a sap Jon" I groan. He laughs and reaches into his pocket. I watch him warily. "Ria" he says. "That, uh test, wasn't all I bought earlier. I was preparing for our future, I don't wanna be without you Ria, ever. So, will you, uh, fuck. Will you marry me Ria?" I look at him quickly, expecting him to laugh, tell me it's all a joke. But of course, he doesn't. And it isn't. He's holding a small box. He opens it and, well, wow. Inside is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen. "Jon" I whisper. "I know" he says quietly. "It's too soon, it's all happening too fast. But Ria, please don't take this the wrong way, but you, more than anyone, know how important it is, how nobody is promised a tomorrow. I'm seizing my moment Ria, and I want to seize it with you. Forever." He groans as he wipes away a tear I didn't even realise was rolling down my face. "Please" he whispers. I can't do anything, say anything. I nod weakly. Straight away the ring is on my finger and I'm in his arms. "Let's go make it official" he whispers, pulling me up and leading me to the bedroom.

The next morning when I wake my left hand is resting gently on his chest, just above his heart. "Morning fiancée" he whispers, kissing my head. I smile and look at the ring. "I thought I dreamt it" I whisper back. He laughs. "I thought I dreamt that you said yes" he admits. I shake my head. "Never in doubt Jon" I admit. "I love you." He's about to answer when there's a knock on the door. I groan and pull one of his shirts on before heading through the lounge to answer it. "Morning lovers!" Kristen says loudly walking in. I groan and cover my ears as she laughs and sits on the sofa. "How can you be so funky fresh this morning?" I groan, flopping opposite her. "Joe made me drink about six pints of water before bed" she admits. "Spent half the night needing to pee!" I cringe and cover my face with my hands. "Ewwwwww Kris" I groan. "Too much info!" "Stop the fucking press batman!" she yells suddenly. I move my hands and frown at her. "You what?" I ask. "What. The fuck. Is that?" she asks, pointing at my hand. I look down and smile. "That is my engagement ring" I say looking at her. "Like it?" "Run that by me again?" she asks, taking my hand. "Ambrose! You got a fucking romantic side? You better hope you proposed properly!" I laugh. "On his knees" I admit. She smiles. "Im so freaking happy for you!" she squeals, looking as Jon walks out of the bedroom. "Ambrose, the new Mr Romance" she teases. "Who knew!" He shrugs and sits next to me, holding my hand and turning the ring so it sits properly. The front door opens and Joe walks in, followed by Colby. "The fuck is all the screaming?" Colby groans. "Some of us are hungover to fuck!" "Tell me about it" I groan. "So what's with the excitement?" Joe asks, frowning as he sits next to Kristen. "Ask your girlfriend" Jon groans. Kristen smirks at him. "Oh I don't know Jon" she says slyly. "Maybe he should ask your fiancée!" "Woah what?" Colby asks quickly. Jon holds my hand up. "I asked, she said yes, end of story" he says simply. "Any questions?" Joe hugs me quickly. "Congratulations baby girl" he says kissing my head. Colby nods. "Yeah" he says quietly. "Congrats guys. I, uh, better go, think I'm gonna hurl." We watch in silence as he runs out, slamming the door behind him.


	36. Chapter 36

As I have, and I quote "nothing better to do", as my fiancé so delightfully puts it, I am now sat, bored, in the local radio station, listening in as the guys do a phone in. For some unknown reason, they keep including me, throwing questions to me and making me speak too. It's got so annoying even the producer has given me a headset and made me sit next to Jon to share his microphone. "So guys" the presenter asks. "Any plans for while you're in town for the next few days? I bet it's a non stop party with you guys." I smirk as Joe and Colby look at me. "Oh I'd say we're gonna be partying" Joe says. "Got a pretty cool event coming up in the not too distant future, don't we Dean?" Jon groans but smiles at me, holding my hand. "Indeed we do" he says. "Something I wouldn't miss for the world." "Because your fiancée would kill you!" Colby laughs. "Woah!" the presenter says. "Fiancée? You guys?" Jon nods and smiles. "Yep" he says proudly. "Awwww girls!" the presenter says. "I sense shares in Kleenex going through the roof in the next thirty seconds. The right honourable Dean Ambrose is officially off the market. Mariana is sat here blinding me with that rock on her finger! How on earth do you lift that hand girl?" I laugh. "It's plastic" I say. "Don't listen to him." Jon laughs. "Bloody expensive plastic" he grumbles. "You saying I'm not worth it Ambrose?" I ask laughing. He shakes his head. "Worth every cent Lopez" he whispers. "I suspect that's the right answer there Dean" the presenter says laughing. Jon shakes his head. "The right answer was last night, when she said yes" he says smiling. I shake my head and put my head on his shoulder. "Love you" he whispers. I groan as the producer grins, he's just got pure gold right there.

"I cannot believe you just announced that live on air!" I groan as we head back for the car. Jon shrugs. "Not keeping you a dirty little secret Ria" he says quietly as he helps me into the back seat. "Not asking you to, Jon!" I say. "But you know, there's something about keeping your private life private!" "They'd find out anyway Ria" Joe points out as he and Colby get in the front of the car. Jon nods as he slides in beside me. "They have a knack of working everything out" he says, shutting the door. I groan and cuddle into him, knowing he's right. He kisses my head and pulls me against him. "How are you feeling?" he asks quietly. "Any more, ya know, sickness?" I shake my head. "I'm good" I say. "Must have been something I ate." He nods thoughtfully. "You still think I should do that test don't you?" I ask. He pauses for a second then nods. "Just for peace of mind" he says. I nod. "Ok" I say. "I'll do it I'm the morning, if it's gonna make you happy." "Ria" he groans. "It's you that makes me happy. I just, well, I just want it all confirmed." "Ok" I say, kissing him before staring out of the window. He starts up a conversation with Colby as Joe drives. I know he's trying to give me space, and I smile. He knows me too well already.

"Ria" he says warily as we walk into the apartment. I turn to look at him, surprised at what I see. He looks wary, unsure. Of what, I don't know. Himself? My reaction to whatever is coming next? I frown at him, reaching out to him. "Jon, what is it?" I ask. "I'm just gonna say it" he says quietly. "I'm an impulsive kinda guy, ok? I don't plan things, things just happen..." "What are you saying Jon?" I ask, suddenly worried. "Ria" he says. "If I asked you to pack a bag and come away with me, no questions asked, would you do it?" I nod slowly. "Of course" I say. "I love you, and I trust you. Completely. No questions asked, Jon." He nods. "Pack a bag toots" he says kissing me. "We're going away for a few days before the next shows. Just me and my fiancée." I frown. "What do I need to pack?" I ask. "Warm clothes, shorts? Gimme a hint here!" "Who said anything about clothes?" he asks, smirking as he pulls me into the bedroom.

An hour later and our bags are packed. He packed everything, apparently I ask too many questions for a no questions asked situation. "I'll take these down to the car" he says kissing me before picking the bags up. I nod. "I'm just gonna say bye to Kris and the guys" I say pointing next door. He nods and walks down the stairs with the bags. I knock on the door quickly and open it without waiting for an answer. Kristin and Joe are sat on the sofa watching a film. "So" I say flopping next to them. "My fiancé is taking me away for a few days, and apparently we're meeting you at the next show." Joe grins. "The next show is the pay per view Ria" he says looking at me. "It's a big deal. We have to be there the day before for fan stuff." I groan, looking at my hand. Joe notices and smiles. "It's fine, Ria" he says. "Really. You make him happy. Nobody else matters. Ignore twitter. Ignore everything apart from how much you both need each other." I nod. "I kinda deleted my twitter" I admit. "Didn't like what I was reading, ya know? Ooooh Dean Ambrose kissed me, I told Dean Ambrose I love him, Dean Ambrose is drinking across the bar from me giving me the eye. Didn't like it." Joe groans. "Ria, that's just fangirl shit" he says. "It's gonna happen whether you read it or not. It's you he comes home to." I nod and stand up. "I know" I say. "Its all good. Thanks Joe. And I guess I'll see you guys Saturday." He nods and laughs as there's a retching sound from the bathroom. "Colby?" I ask. Kristen nods. "Someones suffering" she smirks. "Go on, Jon is waiting. Go be with him, enjoy yourselves, see you Saturday." I nod and wave as I make my way down to the car and Jon.


	37. Chapter 37

"So" I say turning to face Jon as he drives. "You gonna tell me where we're going?" He smirks at me playfully. "Mariana Lopez" he says. "You really are impatient, aren't you?" "So sue me" I shrug. "Toots" he groans. "The only things I want from you are your trust, your love and your heart." "Bingo on all three Ambrose" I whisper. He smiles. "Sleep" he says, handing me his jacket. "Use this as a pillow. I'll wake you when we're there." "When we're where?" I ask. He grins. "You'll see" he whispers, blowing me a kiss. I groan and bunch his jacket up, putting it against the window and resting my head on it. He smiles and holds my hand. "I love you Mariana" he says quietly. "I love you too Jon" I say, closing my eyes.

When I wake, the car has stopped and Jon isn't here. I look around, seeing him inside the gas station. He comes out waving a bag of treats. "Drink?" he asks, handing me a bottle of water. I take it and thank him as he starts the car again. "Want me to drive?" I ask. He shakes his head. "I'm good babe" he says, kissing my hand. "We're not too far from where we're stopping for the night anyway." I nod and look out the window, trying to make out where we are. I groan when I get no clues. He smiles. "Problem?" he asks. I nod. "Suddenly regretting not travelling further than Pensacola before" I say. He laughs. "Stick with me toots" he says. "I'll show you the world. Hell, I'll give you the world, if you'll let me." I smile and watch him as he drives. I believe everything he says. How could I not?

"We're here" he says pulling up in front of a motel. "Where exactly is here?" I ask. He smiles. "Home" he says. "Well, for tonight, anyway. Wait here, I'll go check in. I'll be right back." I nod and watch as he heads in to reception. I get out of the car and stretch my legs. He smiles as he walks back to me. "We're in here" he says, walking to a door not too far away. I walk towards him, smiling at him as he opens the door. He let's me go in first and I smile. There are rose petals scattered on the bed, and a bottle of champagne in a ice bucket. He smiles as he closes the door. "Only the best for my fiancée" he whispers from behind me. I turn around and hug him tightly. "Thank you" I say, kissing him softly. "Babe" he groans. "You don't need to thank me. I wanted you here with me, I needed you with me." "I was with you at home Jon" I point out. He shakes his head. "Too many interruptions" he says picking me up and laying me on the bed. I watch as he kicks his shoes off before lying next to me. "You know I love you, right?" he asks suddenly. I nod as he puts his arms around me, resting his hands on my stomach. "Good" he says, kissing me softly. I smile and watch as he rubs my stomach gently. "Jon" I warn. He looks up at me suddenly. "Sorry" he whispers, moving his hands. I shake my head and cuddle into him. "I'm sorry" I whisper. "I just, I know you're gonna deny it Jon, but I can see you getting your hopes up and it's fucking killing me." He shakes his head. "I've always had a pretty over active imagination" he admits. "Trying to imagine that there's a little person growing in there, well, that's some freaky shit." "Stop it" I say, sitting up. "You need to stop it Jon, ok? It's not going to happen. All the imagining in the world can't make it happen. You need to accept it, or..." "Or what?" he asks, looking at me. I take a deep breath and stand up, heading for the door. "Or move on" I whisper. I open the door and head straight for the car. He doesn't follow me. I knew he wouldn't.

Kristen answers the phone straight away. "Why are you calling me?" she asks. "Shouldn't you be screaming your fiancés name in some seedy motel room by now?" "Spill Kris" I say. "How did you know about the motel?" She laughs. "Jon told Joe that you'd be stopping for the night" she says. "That's all I know, I promise. Oh, hold on, Joe! Phone! It's, oh fuck, it's Jon!" "Jon is calling Joe?" I ask. "Uh huh" she says. "So now you wanna tell me what's happened?" I groan. "He's not accepting this at all" I say. "The pregnancy thing again?" she asks. "But I thought he said he was too busy for kids." "He did" I say. "But I'm starting to think that what Jon says and what Jon actually means are two different things entirely. He's just been lying on the bed with me, rubbing my stomach, admitting he's imagining a little person growing inside me." "Fuck" she groans. "I know" I say quietly. "I know he packed the test too. It's the first thing that went in his bag." "Ok" she says quietly. I know she's trying to listen to Joe on the phone to Jon. "Man Jon what's gone wrong now?" Joe yells. "Get it out of your head bro! She told you the way it is, you need to listen to her or she's gonna keep running! Yeah, I'm sure I can make her come back to you. Give me a sec alright?" I laugh as Kristen comes back on the phone. "Ria" she says. "Go back to him. Make the Samoan love god look amazing." I laugh and head back to the room. Jon opens the door as soon as I get there. "I owe you Joe" he says, hanging up his phone and throwing it back on the bed. "How did you...?" he starts. I wave the phone at him and smile. "I'm on the phone to Kris" I say. "I heard everything. I think it's time we got this settled, don't you?" He nods and opens the door wider. I end the call to Kris and follow him inside.


	38. Chapter 38

"Please don't leave me" is the first thing he says as he sits on the edge of the bed. I look at him in shock. "How can you think I'd leave you?" I ask. He looks at me, vulnerability written all over his face. "It's what everyone does" he says quietly. "Everyone leaves me Ria. I don't want you to." "Jon" I say kneeling beside him. "I'm going nowhere, I promise you. I love you, you daft oaf! I couldn't leave you even if I wanted to. You have a huge grip on my heart. I can't be without you Jon." I look up at him, surprised to see tears rolling down his face. "I can't lose you" he whispers. "Not now." I shake my head. "You're not losing me Jon" I say, wiping the tears away. "I'm pushing you away aren't I?" he asks quietly. I shake my head. "No Jon" I say. "But I need you to understand the way things are, ok? The amount of tests Rico and I went through, there's no way they're wrong. You and me and baby makes three, kinda not gonna happen. If that's what you want, then we need to make a clean break now. And I mean, right now." He shakes his head. "All those needy kids out there" he says. "One of them would love me as a dad, right?" I smile and nod. "Indeed they would" I say. He smiles and holds his arms out to me. "Can we sleep?" he asks suddenly. I nod and lie on the bed with him, cuddling into him. It doesn't take long until we're both asleep.

"Morning dreamer" he mumbles from a chair the other side of the bed. I open my eyes and stare at him. "Why are you over there and not holding me?" I pout. He smiles. "I went to the bathroom and somebody was doing a starfish impression when I got back" he explains. "I've literally just sat down though. Does my fiancée need me?" "Always" I whisper as he walks back to the bed. I frown as he sinks to one knee beside the bed. "Jon?" I ask. He smiles at me, running his hand through his hair. "Remember what I said about being impulsive?" he asks. I nod slowly. "It's kinda coming in to play now toots" he warns. "Mariana, will you marry me?" I nod again, wondering where this is going. He smiles and shakes his head. "No toots" he says sitting on the bed next to me. "I don't think you understand. Will you marry me, today? Drive into Vegas, rock up at a wedding chapel in whatever we're wearing at the time, and say I do there and then. Just you and me." I nod. "Let's do this" I say smiling at him. He grins. "Get dressed then toots" he says. "We've got a wedding to go to!"

"Are we doing the right thing?" I ask quietly as he pulls up outside a quiet chapel. He looks at me and holds my hand. "We don't have to do anything you're not ready for" he says. "If you don't want to do this, we won't. I'm not gonna force you Ria. Damn, I love you so much, but if you don't think we're ready for this, or that you can marry me, then just say the words and we'll head straight for the hotel." I shake my head. "I want to" I whisper. "I love you Jon, so much. Let's go do this." He smiles and before I can change my mind he's opening my door and helping me out of the car. "I can't believe I'm getting married in daisy dukes and a bikini top" I groan, looking down at myself. "I think I packed the best wedding outfit ever!" Jon groans looking me up and down. I smile and shake my head. "First and last time you do my packing Ambrose" I say kissing him. "Good" he says, kissing me back. "Huh?" I ask. "You're glad I'm not gonna let you pack for me?" He laughs. "No silly!" he says. "I'm gonna be your husband, I'm gonna pack for you no matter what you say. But my name ain't Ambrose, it's Good, so in about thirty minutes time you're gonna be Mrs Good." "Let's get in there and get it official then, Mr Good" I say kissing him. He smiles and takes my hand, pulling me inside the chapel.

He was out. About 20 minutes out. 10 minutes is all it takes before we're signing our lives away. "I can't believe we did it" I admit as we walk out. He shrugs. "No wedding planning" he says. "No big expense, no arguments over who is gonna be bridesmaids and best man, I think we did it the best way." I nod and hug him tightly. "I love you Mr Good" I whisper. He smiles and kisses me. "I love you more, Mrs Good" he says. I shake my head. "Impossible" I whisper. He grins and leads me out to the car. "We need to go ring shopping, dear wife" he says, opening my door. I nod and get in the car, smiling when he kisses me before running around to the drivers side. "The guys are gonna freak" I say suddenly. "And Kris. Oh fuck, she's gonna kill me." He laughs. "So what if we keep it a secret?" he asks. "Plan a ceremony for back home when we're ready?" I smile at him. "You had that all worked out didn't you?" I ask. He nods as he pulls into a parking space. "Come on" he says. "Enough about home. Let's get our wedding rings and enjoy the two days we have before we have to head to the pay per view."


	39. Chapter 39

Wedding ring shopping is surprisingly uneventful. Jon finds us matching rings we both like and soon we're walking back to the car looking at our hands. "Kinda makes it official doesn't it?" he asks, unlocking the car. I smile and nod as I get in. "I never ever saw myself being the marrying kind" he admits sliding into the drivers seat and starting the car. "What the hell have you done to me toots?" I laugh as he pulls out of the space and heads for the hotel. Naturally I'm not allowed to carry my bag when we get there. I fold my arms and stamp after him into the hotel lobby. He laughs as he puts the bags down at reception. "Hi" he says smiling sweetly when he finally gets the receptionists attention. "The name's..." "Dean Ambrose" she splutters. He groans. "Ok" he says. "Let's just say, for incognito purposes, the name is Good and we've got a room booked. How's that?" She nods and manages to take her eyes off him for long enough to check the computer. "Honeymoon suite" she says looking at him quickly. "That's the one" he says smiling at her. "Just, uh, wanted to make sure the fiancée was comfortable for the few days we're here, ya know what I mean?" She nods quickly, handing him the keycard. "Oh, one more thing" he says. "We're gonna need the biggest Do Not Disturb sign you got. No wake up calls, no maid, and most definitely no interruptions. Clear?" She nods and he smiles. "Thank you" he says glancing at her name badge. "Clara. Nice name. Ready toots?" I nod and go to grab a bag. He slaps my hand away playfully. "My job" he says kissing me. I smile and follow him to the lift.

By the time we get to the room my phone is going wild in my pocket. I take it out and grin. "Hey Kris" I say, smiling as Jon opens the door and let's me in first. I flop on the sofa as he brings the bags in. "What's up?" "Just checking there's been no more arguments" she says laughing. "Nope" I say looking at him. "Everything is amazing. My darling fiancé got us the honeymoon suite at the hotel. Poor girl on reception got all star struck though. No idea why, I mean, he's nothing special, right?" She laughs. "Is that code for he's listening to everything you say?" she asks. I laugh. "Hell yeah" I say. "Gotcha" she says. "So done anything interesting?" "Not really" I say. "We just got here, literally answered my phone as we were walking into the hotel room. What's happening there?" "Not much" she groans. Something gives her away. "What aren't you telling me?" I ask. "Damn Ria why did you have to pick today to be so perceptive?" she groans. "Ok. Don't shoot the messenger, but it's Colby." "Colby?" I ask. "What about him?" "He, uh, didn't take the engagement too well" she says. "Well, actually, that's a hell of a fucking understatement. Let's just say, there's a few holes in walls that never had holes before." "Shit" I moan quietly. Jon looks at me and I shake my head. "Where is he now?" I ask, already knowing the answer. "Pete's" she says. "He's been there since it opened. He was there last night until it closed. Joe doesn't know what to do with him." I nod, forgetting she can't see me. "Ria" she warns. "Don't you dare dwell on this, I shouldn't have told you. Just forget I said anything, and concentrate on you and Jon. I'm not gonna call you again, I'll see you at the hotel before Payback, ok?" "Yeah" I say. "See you Saturday in Chicago." She laughs and hangs up.

"What's wrong, dear wife?" Jon asks, sitting next to me. I shake my head. "Nothing" I say kissing him. "Mariana Good are you lying to your husband already?" he teases. I smile. "How amazing does that sound?" I ask quietly. "Better than Mariana Lopez" he says. "I could never get over it sounding like you'd married ole skunk head!" I laugh. "He's not coping" I say suddenly. He frowns. "Colby?" he asks. I nod. "Kris says he's punching holes in walls" I say. "And drinking. Drinking a lot." He nods. "Ria" he says finally. "He's a grown man. He can make his own mistakes, and he can have his tantrums all he likes, but it's not gonna change things, we're married now, and he needs to suck it up and accept it." I nod. "You're right" I say, looking past him to the bed. "What do you say to checking how comfortable our bed for the next three nights is?" He smirks at me before grabbing my hand and pulling me to him. "What do you say" he says. "To waiting until the grand finale for the bed, and trying out the sofa first?" "Ooooh you wicked man" I moan as he kisses my neck.

"Bed is most definitely better than the sofa" I moan, cuddling into my husbands arms. "Sofa was better than the shower though" he says. "Jacuzzi was better than the shower" I say, smiling at that particular memory. He chuckles. "Amen to that one" he agrees. It's Friday, and I don't think there's an inch left in the whole suite that we haven't explored. "Have I told you that I love you?" he asks. I pout and shake my head. "Not for at least half an hour" I say, looking at the clock. "I'm seriously thinking about filing for divorce. I'm sure that comes under spousal neglect..." "Trust me to marry a lawyer" he groans. "Mariana Good, your husband loves you very much, even if he doesn't say it that often, and you are always in his thoughts..." "I know exactly what my husbands thoughts are like" I say laughing. "I'm sure they're not very PG!" "Not when it comes to you" he admits, smirking. I smile and kiss him softly. "Are we actually going to venture out of the room today?" I ask. He nods. "We need to eat" he says. "Before my lawyer wife sues me for neglect." I laugh. "Ex lawyer" I say. "I'm kinda liking the housewife role now." He shakes his head. "Travel companion" he says. "I'm not leaving you at home Ria." I smile. "Didn't expect you to for a second" I admit.


	40. Chapter 40

We get to Chicago early Saturday afternoon. Kris is stood in the hotel lobby with Joe and Colby when we walk in. "Well if it isn't the lovers!" she squeals, rushing over and hugging me. I smile, letting go of Jon's hand to hug her back. "You look freaking amazing" she whispers. "Being with him agrees with you." I nod and pull away from her, looking warily at Colby over her shoulder. "He's being bearable" she says, knowing where I'm looking without turning around. "Although I'm dreading what he's gonna be like when you two actually get married. So, how was Vegas?" "I didn't see much of it" I admit with a smirk. "Although the hotel is kinda nice!" "That's what I like to hear!" she says laughing. Jon walks over with the bags and the room key. "Ready to take these up?" he asks. I nod and smile at him. "Hurry back down!" Kris calls. "You need to eat! Plus you've seen enough of the inside of hotel rooms for one week!" I laugh and step into the lift, closely followed by Jon. "Haven't seen enough of hotel rooms for my liking" he moans as the doors close. I smile as he kisses me softly. "Love you Mrs Good" he whispers. "Love you more, Mr Good" I whisper back. He smiles at me as the doors open. "Kristen is right" he says, opening the door to the room. "You do need to eat. You're looking kinda peaky." "I'm ok" I say. "I blame the lack of sunlight!" He laughs. "Come on" he says grabbing my hand and pulling me to him. "We can eat later. Let's go eat, and explore. Can't be accused of neglecting my wife." I laugh and kiss him before making a run for the door. Naturally he beats me to it. "Love you" he says kissing me as he opens the door.

Kristen is sat on the sofa in the lobby. "Mariana!" a voice calls. I spin around and collide with Nikki as she runs to me. "Oh my gosh you guys! Congratulations on your engagement! I'm so excited for you. I knew I gave good advice, but wow!" I laugh. "Yeah Nikki" I say smiling. "This was all because of you, right Jon?" He smiles. "Absolutely" he says. "Thanks for making her see sense Nicole!" We laugh as Kristen walks over to us. "Plans guys?" she asks. Jon nods. "Gonna take my fiancée for something to eat" he says. "You guys know anywhere good?" "Stick to the hotel" Nikki warns. "Fans are around in their hundreds as soon as you get outside." I look at Jon and he nods. "Sounds like a plan" he says. I nod. Jon glances down at my hand and I know what he means. We haven't taken our wedding rings off. He holds my left hand quickly, effectively hiding my rings. "We'll see you after you eat" Kristen says. We nod and walk into the restaurant quickly. "Nice save Ambrose" I whisper. He smiles. "I don't want to take mine off" he admits. "But I have to, to wrestle. Can just imagine punching the boss tomorrow with a ring on!" I laugh and take mine off quickly. I take his off too and he groans. "I feel naked" he says. "I've got so used to it being there." I nod and get a hair tie out of my bag. "Here" I say, sliding it onto his finger. "If anyone asks, that's easier to explain away than a wedding band." He nods. "It's my engagement ring" he chuckles. I laugh and take off my necklace, threading the rings onto it before putting it back on. He nods, smiling. "Good thinking batman" he says, kissing me.

Halfway through eating, his phone rings. "Hey Joe" he says answering it. "Uh, sure. Yeah ok, the girls could probably do with some catch up time. I've been kinda keeping Ria all to myself. Half an hour? Ok." He hangs up and looks at me warily. "What have you just agreed to?" I ask. "Going to the arena with Joe and Colby" he says, twisting the hair tie on his finger. "We need to go through things with Randy, Dave and Hunter. You ok to stay here with Kris?" "Of course!" I say. "I'm a big girl Jon, I can stay alone ya know?" He groans. "I know" he says quietly. "I just don't like being away from you." I nod. "It's a few hours at most" I say. "Surely we can be separated for that long?" He nods slowly. "Kinda don't have a choice" he says. I look up and see Joe and Colby walking towards us. "They're here" I say. He turns in his chair and groans. "Fastest half an hour on record guys" he says. Joe looks at me apologetically. "Sorry Ria" he says. "Hunter has ring time now, he needs us straight away." I nod as Jon stands up slowly. "Sorry baby" he whispers, kissing my head. "I'll be as quick as I can. I love you." "Love you too" I whisper back. "Be careful, please." He nods. "Always" he whispers, waving as he follows Joe and Colby out to the car.

"So" Kris says as I sit next to her in the lobby. "You're allowed to stay with me now are you?" I groan. "I'm so sorry Kris" I say quietly. "We're kinda still working through some issues. He's just being overly protective, you know what he's like." She nods, smirking. "Gotcha!" she says finally. "So, he still on one about the baby?" "There is no baby!" I say, a little too loudly. Kris laughs as everyone looks at us. "As you were" she says, ordering them to get back to whatever they were doing. I groan and shake my head. "How can you be so confident?" I ask. "You don't know these people!" "Kinda do" she says. "We've been here for two days now. We got Colby away from the apartment for his own sanity." I nod, watching as a group of girls walks in to the lobby. "Move" she warns. "Now Ria, before..." "That's the girl who's engaged to Ambrose!" one squeals. I groan. "Tried to warn you" Kris whispers. I nod and look at the receptionist for help. "Mrs Ambrose" she calls. "Your allocated spa time is now." I nod and drag Kristen along, mouthing thanks to the receptionist on my way.


	41. Chapter 41

"Mrs Ambrose?" Kris asks as we change into robes. I groan. "Jon checked in under Ambrose" I say. "Naturally she thought she was doing me a favour, but I think she just made it a hell of a lot worse." "Uh huh" Kris says, walking out and showing me her phone. "Mariana is checked in under Mrs Ambrose" I read. "Fuck. What do I do?" "Tweet a reply" she says simply. I shake my head. "No can do" I say. "Deleted my twitter, remember?" "Then activate it again dumbass!" she says. "Ria, there is no way you can get by without twitter. Even I know that." I groan, she's right, besides, without twitter I wouldn't know half the stuff Jon and I had supposedly done! "I'll do it later" I say. She nods and types quickly. "What have you done?" I ask. She smiles. "Just told them a few truths" she says showing me her phone. "Dean was just practising for when they're really married" I read. "She's still a Lopez." I smile and nod. "Thanks Kris" I say quietly, making my way to the room where the girl is waiting to give me a massage.

"Hey babe" Jon says kissing my head when he walks into the hotel room. I look up at him and smile. "Hey yourself" I say. "You look beat. Go soak in the bath and I'll order you some food." He smiles. "I knew I married you for a reason" he says kissing me before heading into the bathroom. I shake my head as I watch him walk, then quickly grab the phone and order his food.

"About thirty minutes babe!" I call as I put the phone down. "Ok Mrs Good!" he calls back. I smile as I sit on the bed. Mrs Good. Wow. I take my necklace out from under my shirt and smile. I'm still staring at the rings when my husband walks out of the bathroom, naked except for a towel. "That was a quick bath" I say, smiling as he lies next to me and kisses me softly. "My wife wasn't there" he says simply. I shake my head and cuddle into him. "Did we do the right thing?" I ask suddenly. He moves away and looks at me. "Getting married?" he asks. I nod. "Please don't take it the wrong way" I say, grimacing at the look on his face. "I meant, getting married without any of our friends there. You know they're gonna be so pissed with us when they find out." He nods. "Our lives, our rules" he says simply. "They don't like it, that's their problem not ours. No regrets Mrs Good." I nod and pull him back to me. "No regrets whatsoever Mr Good" I whisper.

We don't go outside the hotel room that night. Jon is busy getting himself in the zone for the pay per view. Kristen calls and warns us that the lobby is full of fans so we decide on room service and movies for the night. "You awake?" he asks. I smile and nod. We're cuddled on the sofa and I love it. I love just being with him. Just as well really, I married him, and I know how much that means to him. "I love you Ria, you know that right?" he asks. I nod and look up at him. "What's on your mind Jon?" I ask suddenly, frowning as I look at him. He shakes his head. "Nothing toots" he says. "Just making sure you know how I feel." I shake my head slowly. "No" I say. "There's more to it than that. Spill Ambrose." "It's just" he says. "There's this girl, at work, we uh kinda had a thing a while back." I shrug. "I don't care" I say simply, looking at him. "It doesn't matter. Past is past, everyone has one. All I'm concerned about is the future. Our future." "Damn I love you" he groans. I smile. "Love you too" I whisper. "It's gonna kill me not being able to tell anyone we're married" he admits. "Everyone at work is real close..." "I know" I say smiling. "That's what I like about it there. Everyone looks out for everyone." He nods thoughtfully. "Travel with me?" he asks suddenly. "Come to every show." I shake my head. "Jon it's not practical" I say. "I need to find another job." "Look after me!" he says. "That's your job now. My wife. I pay well." I smirk. "Oh do you?" I ask. "What are the perks of the job?" "Ah" he says taking my hand and leading me to the bed. "Those I can show you now. Then we can discuss your contract."

"When can you start?" he pants as I lie next to him. I smirk. "I'm not sure the job is for me, Mr Good" I say. He looks at me and we both laugh. "You're the only one for the job toots" he whispers, kissing my head. "Glad to hear it" I say looking up and kissing him back. "Get some rest Jon, big night for you tomorrow." "You gonna watch?" he asks. I groan. "Babe" I say. "It's hard for me, I mean, I totally respect that this is the business that you love, and it's what makes you happy, but I don't know, seeing you out there, getting hurt, it's really not my thing." He nods thoughtfully. "Ok" he says finally. "I was being greedy. Just you being backstage before my match, and after, is enough for me. I love you Mariana." "Love you too" I say cuddling into him. He's snoring in no time, and I lie awake listening to him and thinking about what he's asked. I mean, is it really that hard to watch him wrestle? The wrestling part I have no problem with, it's the unpredictability of it all, what if a move goes wrong and he ends up really hurt? Could I take that? I shake my head and banish all negative thoughts from invading my brain. Nothing is going to go wrong tomorrow. He's gonna be just fine.


	42. Chapter 42

Sunday. The drive to the arena doesn't take long, but my whole life feels like it's in slow motion. In a few hours my man is gonna be in the ring, putting on a show for the thousands of paying fans who scream his name. I look across at him and realise he's talking to me. "Huh?" I ask. He smiles. "I said" he repeats. "We're gonna head to catering as soon as we get to the arena. You gonna join us?" I nod. Being apart from him hours before his match is not an option. He smiles and grips my hand tightly. "It's gonna be fine Ria" he says quietly. "I promise you." I nod as Kristen catches my eye. She nods to her phone and I know she's going to text me. Jon smiles as I look at him. "I love you" he says. "Awwww pass the fucking sick bucket" Colby groans. We both look at him quickly. "What the fuck is your problem?" Jon growls. Colby grunts. "You love her" he says harshly. "She loves you. We get it. We don't need to listen to it constantly." "Colby" Joe warns. Colby shakes his head. "Nuh uh Reigns" he says. "Every two minutes it's I love you, I love you too. Enough is enough already! Man some people need to chill the fuck out!" "And some people need to get laid!" I say, just not as under my breath as I think. I look up as everyone looks at me. Kristen smirks, then all of a sudden we're all laughing. Well, all except Colby. He glares at me and I shrug. "Sorry Colby" I say. "But you really need to cool it now. You're right, enough is enough. Get over yourself will you?" He looks at me in shock, his mouth opening and closing when he realises he doesn't know what to say. I shake my head and look out of the window, squeezing Jon's hand back after he squeezes mine. I wait for Colby, Joe and Kristen to get out of the car before looking away from the window. "We good?" Jon asks quietly. I nod. "We're the Goods" I say smiling. "Of course we're good." He grins and helps me out of the car to where the others are waiting. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I know Kris has text me. I nod as we walk inside with Joe and Jon, Colby following slowly behind. The guys dump their bags in the locker room and pull us along to catering. Kris and I grab a table while Joe and Jon grab their food.

"You ok?" she asks quietly. I nod, watching as Jon laughs and jokes with the catering staff. She looks where I'm looking and smiles. "He's so easy to get along with, well, for a bad guy" she says. I look at her quickly. "Bad guy?" I ask. She groans. "Ria" she says. "You really need to watch him wrestle. Yeah, bad guy, they're supposed to be the bad guys. It's kinda shifted though, they're too over with the fans." "Over?" I ask. She groans again. "They're too well liked" she says simply. I nod as Jon walks over to us. He hands me a bottle of water and slides a plate over to me. I smile and shake my head. "Not hungry babe" I say sliding it back. He frowns and shakes his head, sliding the plate back to me. "Eat" he says simply. I groan and grab a fork, picking at the pasta just to please him. He smiles and squeezes my knee as he sits down next to me. "Thank you" he says quietly. I nod and look up as more people walk in. Nikki waves as she sees me. I smile and wave back. "Later?" she asks, nodding at my plate. I nod and she heads to grab some water before rushing off again. "Babe" Jon says slowly. I look at him and he smiles. "Would you watch our match if I got you a seat in the crowd?" he asks warily. I nod slowly and Kris smiles. "About time" she says. "This time, make sure you stay for the match though, not just the entrances!" We laugh as Colby walks in and sits at the table with us. "Uh Ria" he says. "Can I have a word please?" I nod and he gestures to the corridor. Jon shifts his seat to let me out and I kiss his head as I follow Colby into the deserted corridor.

"I owe you an apology" he says quietly. "I've been a terrible person to be around, and it's not your fault, it's mine, but I've taken it all out on you, and Jon, and I'm sorry." I look at him in shock. "Woah" I finally manage to say. "Wasn't expecting that Colby, I will admit, but thank you. Apology accepted." He smiles. "I really am sorry Mariana" he says. "For everything, especially what she did to your apartment. That was because of me, and I feel so bad because of it. The guys warned me not to lead her on, and I did it anyway, and you paid the price. Can we at least be friends again?" "We never stopped, Colby" I say. "You shut everyone out, we never closed any doors on you. We all care about you. We don't like you self destructing. It's not good for anyone." He nods. "I know" he says quietly. "Go eat. I'll see you later." I nod and head back to Jon and my now cold food.

"Everything ok?" Jon asks as I sit back down. I nod and kiss him as I push the plate away. I really don't have the appetite for food right now. "Walk with me?" I ask. He frowns but nods anyway, his chair scraping as he stands up. He holds his hand out and I take it, smiling up at him. "Catch you guys later" Joe says. Jon waves as we walk off in the opposite direction to Colby. "What's on your mind, dear wife?" he asks. "Nothing" I say as he leads me up the steps to the roof. "I just wanted alone time with my husband." He smiles. "Alone time granted" he whispers, dipping his head and kissing me softly.


	43. Chapter 43

"Ready?" Kris asks. "Ria? Ria? MARIANA LOPEZ WILL YOU STOP STARING AT YOUR FIANCÉ AND ANSWER ME?" "Huh?" I ask, looking at her quickly. Jon laughs. "Busted" he says kissing my head. I shrug. "So sue me" I say. "I know a good lawyer." Jon snorts as he tries to hold his laugh in. I realise what I've said and look at him quickly. Good. Lawyer. Yeah, nice one Ria. I shake my head and stand up. Jon crosses the room and pulls me into his arms. "Love you" he whispers. "Remember, when I get out there, it's all acting, ok?" I nod and kiss him softly. "See you in a few" I whisper. "I love you." He hugs me tightly then lets me go. "I'll be looking for you" he warns. I smile and blow him a kiss before following Kris out to our seats.

"You two are so damn cute" she groans as we walk. I laugh. "Even when we argue?" I ask, linking my arm through hers. "Fuck no!" she says quickly. "Then you're both too stubborn to admit you shouldn't be arguing in the first place! You've got a good one there Ria, never forget that." I laugh. "Whats so funny?" she asks, frowning as we head through the door. "Good" I say. "Nice pun." She laughs. "Finally told you his name ain't Ambrose then did he?" she asks as we flash our passes to the security guy. He nods and opens the door for us. We smile sweetly and head for our seats. What a surprise, right behind commentary again. I groan as I slump in my seat. "You're..." a fan starts. "Here to watch her fiancé" Kris warns. The fan sits down quickly and I smile. "Thanks" I say quietly. "Don't think I can deal with the hate right now." She nods and suddenly squeals as music starts. "Here they come!" she warns. I nod and look up into the stands, watching as Jon, Joe and Colby make their way through the fans. Jon gets straight into the ring and winks at me. Fangirls around me go wild, screaming that he's winking at them. Kristen laughs loudly and they look at her as I shake my head. "He's winking at his fiancée ya bunch of dumbasses" she says loudly. Jon hears her and tries not to laugh as he jumps down off the ropes. Evolutions music starts and I groan. Now it gets serious.

I can't help it. I can't watch. I spend the match looking at the floor, or the back of Cole's head. Just not at what's happening in the ring. "Holy fucking shit! He's got a death wish!" Kristen groans. I daren't look up but she makes me. "Colby just dived off the tron" she says. My first instinct is to look where Jon is. "He's fine" she whispers. I nod. "I can't stay out here Kris" I say starting to stand. "I'm gonna go back to the locker room. I'll meet you guys there." She nods and carries on watching as I make my way back through the crowd. The security guy smiles as he opens the door for me. "Everything ok?" he asks quietly. I nod. "Nothing a new heart wouldn't cure" I say smiling at him as I walk past. I hear him laugh as I head for the corridor that will take me back to the locker room.

The guys have left the tv on, and I get back just in time to hear their music play, and see Joe grab Jon's hand. They're both lying in the ring, breathing heavily. I shake my head as I sit down. It seems like forever until they're walking through the door. "Toots" Jon groans, rushing to me and sitting next to me. "I'm sorry" I groan as he wraps his arms around me. "As soon as Kris said Colby jumped off the tron I had to leave." He nods and kisses me. "It's ok" he whispers. "I should have warned you about that beforehand. He's fine, by the way. He landed good, ok?" I nod and watch as Colby walks into the room. "Hey" I say standing up. He looks at me warily as I hold my arms out to him. He glances at Jon, and as soon as Jon nods at him he's in my arms holding me tightly. "Thank you" he whispers. "You have no idea how it feels to be able to hug someone after a match like that. Never change, Ria." I nod and pull away from him, kissing his head quickly before sitting next to Jon again. "And tomorrow, it begins" Joe groans. "Tomorrow it ends, Joe ya dumbass" Kristen laughs. I laugh loudly. "What is it with you calling everyone a dumbass today?" Jon asks, knowing what I'm laughing at. She shakes her head. "I'm dealing with a bunch of amateurs" she groans. "A whole bunch of dumbasses!" "Ever the charmer Kris" I say looking at Jon. "Walk with me? Catering?" He nods and we stand together. He waits until we're in the corridor before wrapping his arms around me and pulling me against him. "I need you" he moans, dipping his head and kissing me softly, then more demanding. "God Ria, I need you so bad! I can't wait for the hotel. Please?" I look up at him, feigning innocence. "Jon we can't!" I protest weakly. He kisses me again and I know he's gonna convince me to do whatever he wants. "Please?" he whispers, resting his forehead against mine. I nod slightly and he groans, grabbing my hand and pulling me along the corridor.

"In here" he whispers, pulling a door open quickly and ushering me inside. "A janitors closet Jon?" I groan. "Really? Who said romance was dead?" "Shut up and kiss me, wife" he demands. I groan and grab his hair, pulling him to me roughly. "Fuck yes" he moans before his mouth crashes onto mine. I moan into his mouth as he hitches my skirt up around my waist and totally shreds my panties. He fumbles with his belt and eventually manages to get his trousers around his knees, pulling his boxers down to meet them quickly. "Damn Ria" he moans, wrapping my legs around his waist and sliding into me as he pushes me against the wall. He holds on to my hips and pulls me onto him harder and harder with every thrust. "Fuck!" he moans into my mouth as he kisses me in a feeble attempt to quieten himself. "Fuck Ria!" he pants, trying to steady his breathing as he spills into me. I know exactly how he feels.


	44. Chapter 44

"So how was catering?" Kris smirks as we walk back into the locker room. I look at Jon and he winks at me. "Uh, good" I say sitting on the sofa. Kris laughs loudly. "Cut the crap Mariana" she says pointing at Jon and I. "Would it have been better if I'd asked you how the janitors closet was?" I groan as Jon blushes. "Reports just in" Joe says, obviously enjoying how uncomfortable Jon and I are. "Say that there were some feral growls coming from said closet, along with moans of "fuck" and "Ria". So, unless Mariana has something she needs to tell Jon..." "Ok, ok, I give" Jon groans. "I couldn't wait, ok?" They laugh and Joe high fives Jon. I look at Kris and she shakes her head at me. "You're turning into a wanton hussy" she tuts. I shrug and nod as she laughs. "That's my girl" she says hugging me. "Car is here guys" Colby says walking in. I breathe a sigh of relief heard only by Jon, and he grins at me. "Round two at the hotel, Mrs Good?" he whispers in my ear. I smirk at him and slap him playfully as he grabs his bag and we walk out to the car.

"Bar?" Joe asks as the car pulls off. I look at Jon and he shakes his head. "Not for me" he says. "I'm just, ya know, gonna hit the hay, get a little down time..." "Yeah" Joe says smirking. "Cos you've already had enough up time, if you catch my drift!" I groan as Kris laughs. "Stop picking on them Joe" she says, slapping him. "They can't help it if they're young and in love." "Yeah" Jon says wrapping his arms around me. "Exactly right. Well said Kristen." "I was being sarcastic Jon" she says. "I mean, you two are like a pair of rabbits! You've spent the last few days holed up in hotel rooms doing unspeakable things to each other, and now you can't wait so you go at it in a closet!" "Jealousy will get you nowhere Kris" Jon warns. I laugh as Joe kisses Kristen. "We can, ya know, in the closet..." he starts. "Not even worth you going there lover boy" Kristen says, cutting him off. "I have self control, I can wait for a hotel room!" I smirk at Jon and he frowns. "What?" he mouths. I wink and he knows I'm planning something. I kiss him softly, moaning as he pulls me onto his lap. He winks at me as I straddle him and pretends to undo his belt. "Don't you even think about it Jon!" Joe warns. "Hearing you two is enough, I don't need to see it too!" The car pulls up at the hotel and Colby opens the door quickly. Kristen and Joe fight over who gets out next as Jon and I kiss some more. "We gotta stop" I finally manage to say. Jon nods. "I, uh, kinda can't move yet though" he says as I climb off his lap. "Sooner you're in the room, sooner I can help with your problem" I say as I follow Joe out of the car. Jon is behind me straight away. "Knew you'd see it my way" I say, putting my arm around him as we walk into the lobby. Jon pulls the keycard out of his pocket and we head straight for the lifts. We manage to get one to ourselves and he's kissing me before the doors even close fully.

"I love you Mrs Good" he moans as the lift stops on our floor. "I love you too Mr Good" I say smiling as I step out of the lift. I wait for him to open the door before wrapping my arms around him. "You know" I say. "You can go for a drink with the guys. I mean, after tomorrow you really won't be able to." He nods. "I'm cool" he says. "I wouldn't trust myself not to blurt anything about the wedding after I've had a few beers!" "Yeah, you're grounded" I say, kicking the door shut as he laughs. "Knew you'd come round to my way of thinking" he groans before kissing me softly. "Hungry?" he asks when we finally break for air. I shake my head. "Not really" I admit, glancing over at the bed. He follows my gaze and smirks. "Mrs Good" he says. "Are you attempting to have your wicked way with me?" "Not at all" I say stepping away from him and sitting on the sofa. "After all, dear husband, I'm not the one walking on three legs!" I squeal as he picks me up effortlessly and carries me to the bed, dropping me in the middle of it before joining me. "Love you toots" he groans, looking me straight in the eyes. "You know they're gonna say we've rushed things don't you?" I nod slowly, wondering where he's going with this. "Ria you've changed me" he admits. "I don't do love, or relationships, certainly not marriage, but with you, it's all I want. I don't want to be the guy not capable of showing his emotions anymore." I smile. "Babe" I whisper. "I don't think you have to worry about that at all. I mean, if you didn't want to show people how you felt, you wouldn't hold my hand in public, or kiss me in front of fans. All they care about is how you are in that ring. That's your job. As long as it's not acting when you're with me I don't care what you do. I just want to know that what we have, this here, is real." He nods. "Me and you" he says. "This, is one thousand, no, a million percent real. You, well, you're my life now Ria. Thats all there is to it." I sit up suddenly. "Hold that thought Romeo" I groan, clutching my stomach and running into the bathroom.


	45. Chapter 45

I don't know why I thought he'd stay on the bed. This is Jon, after all. He's behind me, holding my hair up as I empty the pasta from my stomach. He's rubbing my back, soothingly telling me it's ok. He waits until I tell him I'm done before gently putting my hair down and grabbing a washcloth, drenching it in cold water before placing it on the back of my neck. "Better?" he asks. I nod before dry heaving, it's all that's left. "Ria" he groans as I sit back on my heels, cursing the tears that are falling down my cheeks. I hate being sick. He pulls me into his arms and kisses the top of my head as he rocks me gently. "Teeth" I moan. He nods and lets me go straight away. I stand on shaky legs and he's right beside me, holding my hand and helping me to the sink. Before I know what's happening he's handing me a toothbrush loaded with toothpaste. "Dammit Jon" I groan, taking it from him. "When did you become such a good nurse?" I start brushing my teeth as he looks at me in shock. "When my wife needed me to be one for her" he says simply. That's it, that's enough for me. I drop the toothbrush and hold onto the sink, openly sobbing this time. He holds a finger up, indicating that I need to give him a minute and I nod. A minute? I guess I misread it, he's back within seconds, dragging a chair from next to the bed. He puts it next to the sink and gestures for me to sit, as I do he picks up the toothbrush. "Open wide" he instructs. I smile as I wave him away weakly. "Nuh uh toots" he says. "I'm doing this." I roll my eyes at him and open my mouth. He brushes my teeth gently then hands me a tumbler of water. "Thank you" I say quietly. He shakes his head as he rinses the toothbrush. "No thanks necessary toots" he says. I nod and start to stand, giving up when he growls at me. He puts the toothbrush on the side of the sink and scoops me up, carrying me back into the bedroom with ease.

"How...?" he starts. "What caused that?" I shake my head. "No idea" I whisper. "I feel better now though. I think I've just worked myself up over tomorrow. Knowing something big is going to happen, and worrying myself..." "You don't need to worry Mariana" he groans, pulling me into his arms as he lies beside me on the bed. "Tomorrow is nowhere near as bad as tonight, there will be no jumping off things, it's just a plain and simple break up." I snort. "Yeah" I say looking up at him. "Cos Colby does plain and simple break ups doesn't he?" Jon looks at me and starts to laugh. "Oh Ria" he groans, kissing my head. "I think, compared to Emily, tomorrow will be a piece of cake." I smile. "Glad to hear it" I say, cuddling into him. "I don't think the apartment could take another trashing." He laughs as I lay my head on his chest. "Get some sleep toots" he says quietly. "I'm going nowhere." I nod slowly, his heartbeat my lullaby as I fall asleep easily.

I wake a few hours later, the room lit by the light from the tv. Jon is snoring lightly, his hand tangled in my hair. I move slightly and straight away his hand strokes my hair, soothing me straight away. "You ok?" he asks sleepily. I nod and look up at him. "Need to be sick again" I say quickly. He's fully alert instantly, moving his hand from my hair and letting me go. He repeats the routine from last time, I manage to hold the tears in this time. He carries me back into the bedroom and lies with me on the bed again. "Ria" he groans. I shake my head, tears falling seemingly on their own this time. "Please don't" I beg. "Please don't say it Jon. It's not what you think, it's anxiety, that's all. I'm scared Jon." He groans and pulls me into his arms as I cry. I manage to calm down and look up at him, shocked at what I see. He's crying too. He slides off the bed and goes to his bag. I wipe my eyes and watch as he takes something out then climbs back on the bed. "Please?" he asks pushing something into my hands. I look down and groan. "Jon" I say, turning the pregnancy test over in my hands. "Please Ria?" he asks. I sigh, nodding slightly. "In the morning" I say quietly. "Not now. Please Jon, I just need to sleep." He nods, lying next to me and holding me gently. "No matter what" he says kissing my head. "I'm here. No matter what Ria. Remember that." I nod weakly, not trusting myself to speak. I fall asleep with him playing with my hair.

The next time I wake Jon is gone. There's a note on the pillow next to me. I pick it up and open it. "Ria" I read. "You need your rest. I've gone to the gym with Colby and Joe, I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't forget what you have to do. I love you. Jon." I glance at the bedside table, groaning inwardly as I spot the tell tale box. "No time like the present Mariana" I say to myself, swinging my legs off the edge of the bed and standing up. I grab the box and head into the bathroom, locking the door behind me.


	46. Chapter 46

"Hey" he says quietly as he walks into the room. I smile at him in the mirror as I do my hair. "You look amazing" he says kissing the top of my head. "Why thank you, Mr Good" I say, looking at him as I clip my hair up. I stand up and he groans. "I take it back" he says pulling me into his arms. "You look fucking awesome toots." "Jon" I groan. "You're all sweaty!" "I've been worse" he smirks. "And you couldn't get enough of me then!" "I wasn't all freshly showered then Jon" I remind him. He groans and kisses me before letting me go. "Did you do it?" he asks. I groan and shake my head. "I saw your note after I'd been to the bathroom" I say quietly. "I'm sorry." He nods slowly. "Don't apologise" he says quietly. "There's always tomorrow. I'm, uh, gonna go shower. Kris wants you to call her." I nod and watch as he walks slowly into the bathroom. As soon as he closes the door I grab my phone and dial Kristen.

"Ria" she says cheerfully as she answers the phone. "Lobby" I say quickly. "Now." I hang up and grab my shoes. Nikki would be proud. Skyscraper heels. "Jon" I call, knocking gently on the bathroom door. I push it open, smiling as I hear him singing. I lean on the wall and listen to him. I have no idea what he's singing, but damn he's good. He turns around and catches me watching him. "Damn toots" he groans. "Wasn't expecting you to be there. Fuck, you're spending too much time with Nikki! Not that I'm complaining! You look, well, just be glad I'm in here. You off out?" I nod. "Just going to meet Kris" I say. "I won't be long." He nods. "Take all the time you need babe" he says. "I'll be here." I nod and blow him a kiss before heading out to meet Kris.

I step out of the lift into the lobby of mayhem. Fans are everywhere. Kristen waves at me from the sofa and I head over to her. "What's wrong?" she asks as soon as I sit. "He made me do the test" I say quietly. "Fuck!" she groans. "How did he take it? I know he was building his hopes up..." "He doesn't know" I say. "I told him I haven't done it yet. Kris, he was right. I'm pregnant. My h... Horny fiancé has super sperm or something. He managed to do what Rico couldn't. I'm having his fucking baby Kris. What the hell am I gonna do?" "He's not gonna run if you tell him Ria" she says holding my hand. I look at her, shaking my head. "No" I say firmly. "Not yet. Not until I get my head around it myself. Please Kris." She groans but nods. "Don't think I'm comfortable keeping it from him though Ria" she warns. I nod. "Thank you" I whisper. She smiles. "No problem momma" she says quietly. I groan. "Kris am I ready?" I ask quickly. "Are we ready? We've only been together five minutes." She nods, smiling. "Ria" she says. "You two were born ready. You're more ready than you realise." I nod slowly. "I really hope so" I say, standing up. "I'd better get back up to Jon. I'll see you in a few hours." She shakes her head. "We leave for the arena in an hour Ria" she says. "The guys need to go through a few things first." I nod and gesture towards the lift. "I have to go" I say. "See you in a bit." She nods and watches as I make my way through the fans, pushing the button for the lift as soon as I get there. The lift next to the one I want opens and a short blonde gets out, smiling as soon as she sees the fans in the lobby. "Renee!" they call as I get in the lift she's just vacated. "Where's Dean? Did you leave him upstairs? What do you think about the rumour that he's seeing somebody else?" I groan. Poor girl. Fans never know when to give up. What difference does it make to them where her boyfriend is? The lift stops on my floor and I get out quickly, groaning when I realise I left the key in the room. Jon answers the door as soon as I've knocked. "Kris ok?" he asks, opening the door wider to let me in. I nod and sit on the sofa before looking up at him. Damn he looks, and smells, great. "Could that shirt get any tighter?" I moan, crossing my legs. He smirks. "Could that dress get any higher?" he counters. "Touché, Mr Good" I whisper as he sits next to me.

"How do you feel?" he asks, holding my hand. "Good" I say. "No more sickness, I think we're good to go." He smiles and stands up, grabbing his bag. "We leave soon" he says. "We've got a few things to run through at the arena, need to make sure everything goes right." I nod. "Kris said an hour" I say. He nods. "Did she tell you they want us guys to walk in first, you girls behind?" he asks quietly. I look at him quickly. "No" I say finally. He nods. "You know I'd do anything to tell the world you're my wife, right?" he asks. I nod. "After tonight, the Shield will be no more. They want one last show of unity before the show, that's it." "Ok" I say. "I think I can cope with not holding your hand for two minutes. But you'd better be waiting for me by the door." "Try stopping me" he growls, dipping his head and kissing me softly.


	47. Chapter 47

Jon kisses me softly as the car pulls into the arena car park. "I'll be by the doors waiting for you" he says before kissing me again. I smile and nod as he follows Joe and Colby out of the car. I sigh as I watch him walk. Kristen smiles at me. "You really need to tell him" she says quietly. I groan. "I know" I say, watching as the girl from the lift earlier runs across the parking lot to get to him. Flashes light up the security fencing, Jon was obviously right about the fans needing to see them together one last time. Kristen obviously doesn't think so. She growls and takes my phone from me. "You don't need this" she says, putting it in her bag quickly. I frown. "Kris that's my phone" I say, holding out my hand. "Pass it back!" She groans and hands it back slowly. "Just avoid twitter" she warns. "I deleted twitter, remember" I point out, getting out of the car. I'm halfway to the door by the time she catches up to me. Fans are screaming through the fence. I can't make any of it out until one person floors me. "Mariana!" one fan yells. "Why can't you just leave Dean and Renee alone? They're happy!" "Keep walking" Kristen warns, linking her arm through mine. "Dean and Renee?" I ask. "The blonde from the lobby is with Dean?" "No" Kris says harshly. "The fans think she is, that's all. He's with you, Ria, just remember that." "She ran to get to him as soon as he got out of the car" I remember. "She's an attention whore" Kris groans as Jon opens the doors for us. "She does it to fuel the rumours. We all know they're not true. Jon loves you Ria." "Indeed he does" Jon says, frowning at Kris. She shakes her head at him. "Renee" she says simply. He groans and looks at me quickly. "There is nothing going on" he says quietly. "I know" I say. "How could there be? How would you have the time? We're always together." He smiles. "Exactly" he says kissing me. He puts his arm around me and starts leading me down the corridor. I see Renee lurking by the locker room. As soon as she sees us she puts her head down and walks off. "Someone thought you weren't here" Kristen says, walking behind us. I nod and follow Jon into the locker room.

"Wanna explain?" I ask as soon as the door closes. He groans and points to the sofa. I shake my head. "I'm fine standing" I say. He sighs and runs his hands through his hair. "Remember I told you about that woman at work?" he asks finally. "And how you said she doesn't matter, because everyone has a past." I nod slowly. "That's her" I say quietly. He nods, watching my face for my reaction. "This is different Jon" I say heading for the door. "This isn't the past. She obviously isn't done." "Ria!" he yells as I pull the door open. I ignore him and run, I don't know where. I see a sign for the divas locker room and push the door open, not even caring who is going to be in there.

"Mariana?" Brie asks. I nod and slump on the bench. "What brings you here?" she asks skeptically. "Brie" I say. "Do you ever feel like you're not getting the full story from somebody?" She sits next to me and holds my hand. "Spill it" she says. "Oh Brie" I sob, tears spilling down my face. "It's Jon. All this stuff with Renee. Kris has warned me to stay away from twitter..." "Twitter" Brie says. "Instagram, tumblr, basically anything social network based. I'm not gonna lie to you Ria, it doesn't make for pretty reading. If we didn't know how into you Jon is, the fans make a pretty solid case." I groan. "How bad is she?" I ask. Brie shakes her head. "You need to drill it into her" she says. "He's yours. Let her know you're not giving him up." I nod and hug her tightly. "Thank you Brie" I say quietly. "Anytime" she says. "Stay with us for a while? We don't get you that often." I nod, not wanting to go back to Jon just yet. She squeals and hugs me quickly. "Girl time" she says. "Come on, let's go get our makeup done. You deserve it." I laugh and follow her down to the makeup girls.

"Ria!" Nikki yells as we get close. "Your fiancé has just been pestering me for your whereabouts!" "Damn Nikki" I groan, slumping into an empty chair. "Did you swallow a dictionary or something?" "Ok, ok" she laughs. "Jon was here asking where the fuck you were! That better? They were his actual words too!" I bury my head in my hands as Brie explains everything to Nikki. "Damn that bitch to hell" Nikki groans. "But yeah, avoid social media like the plague." I nod, already knowing that as soon as I get the chance the first thing I'm doing is locking myself away with my phone. Nikki does my hair while the girl does my makeup. "Damn you should be a diva" she groans when I'm all done. I shake my head. "I don't do wrestling" I protest. "Neither does Lana" Brie says. "Or R... She who must not be named." I laugh. "I'm happy just being backstage supporting Jon" I say, glancing over at a monitor. Shit. Jon, Joe and Colby are in the ring. I try to look away but I can't. "Walk it off Mariana" Nikki warns. "Don't watch. It's not happening just yet, not until the end of the show, but don't watch, ok?" I nod and jump down off the chair. "I'm gonna go for a walk" I say. "Thanks for the advice girls. I owe you." They nod and wave as I make my way down the corridor, away from monitors and my husbands image staring out at me through tv screens.


	48. Chapter 48

Two hours. For two whole hours I've managed to avoid him. Not that he hasn't called, of course. The powers of voicemail. The only thing that has pissed me off about him calling is that it interrupts my reading. Yeah, reading. Twitter, tumblr... Wow. The fans actually have a pretty solid case. No wonder they were screaming at me to leave Jon and Renee alone. I sigh and come down from my hiding place on the roof, walking down the stairs on shaky legs. The corridors are deserted when I get back inside. I glance at a monitor as Evolutions music blares through backstage. I run to catering where I know the larger monitors are set up. There's no sign of Kristen, or Brie or Nikki. There is, however, one person avidly watching the monitor, chewing their bottom lip nervously. Renee.

"You know" I say, silently stepping behind her. "No matter how much you chase him, you're never going to take him from me. You're just making yourself look sad and desperate." She turns to me quickly. "Do I know you?" she asks. I smirk, holding out my hand. "Mariana" I say. "Jon's fiancée. Nice to meet you, Renee." She pales visibly. I look over her shoulder at the monitor. Colby has a chair in his hands as he, Joe and Jon look down on Evolution from the ring. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Colby swings the chair back and hits Joe square across the back. He crumbles instantly. "Holy fuck" I moan. Renee turns and watches as Colby then swings the chair at Jon, repeatedly beating him as he writhes on the mat. "No" I whisper. "No no no!" I knew I didn't watch for a reason. I can feel myself getting more and more worked up, getting more and more lightheaded, until my body wins and I pass out, lying in a heap next to Renee.

"Hey Ria" a soft voice says. I open my eyes, startled to see a man I don't know standing next to me. "Relax" he says, putting his hand on my shoulder. "I'm Doctor Chris. That was a nasty bump you took. Do you hurt anywhere?" I shake my head. "I need to get out there, to Jon" I say, starting to get off the table. He shakes his head, keeping his hand firmly on my shoulder. "Jon is fine" he says soothingly. "Joe is next door, but Jon is fine, I promise you." I nod, listening to the sounds starting to filter through from the corridor. A growl makes me smile. Jon. "Let me in there!" he yells, banging and throwing things. "No" a voice says. "The doc is with her, she's in good hands. We need to contact her next of kin..." "Jon" Kristen says. "Let them do their job. Uh, next of kin, that would be..." "Me" Jon says simply. Kristen groans. "Ah Jon" she says. "She has no next of kin, no siblings, hasn't spoken to her mother in years..." "It's me for fuck sake!" Jon yells. "Jon" Kristen warns. "Fiancé or not, doesn't make you next of kin." "How about husband?" he asks. "Husband would" Kristen admits. Jon laughs. "Then let me fucking in there, suckers!" he yells. "Doc! Check around her neck. Our wedding rings are on a chain!" The doc looks at me and I nod, pulling the chain out from under my dress. "He's right" doc says, opening the door. Jon is staring straight at me. "Of course I'm right" he smirks. "She's my wife. My pregnant wife." I look at Kristen, who shakes her head quickly. "I didn't..." she starts. Jon shakes his head. "She really didn't" he says quietly, walking in and holding my hand. "I found the test in the bin." "So you knew all along?" I ask. He nods. "I guessed you were waiting for the right time to tell me" he says. "I didn't know how to tell you" I admit. "Woah back the fuck up" Kristen says. "Husband?" Jon nods and take the rings from the chain around my neck, sliding his back on before putting mine on me. "Husband" he says. "Can't beat a Vegas wedding Kris. Meet Mrs Mariana Good. My wife. The love of my life, and the mother of my child." A gasp draws my attention to, well, the attention whore. She's in the corridor, obviously listening in. "Now back the fuck off Renee" I warn. She looks at Jon, back to me, then runs down the corridor. "No doubt we'll get some suggestive picture on Instagram soon" Kris groans. Jon smirks. "Don't know" he says. "Don't have it, don't care. Now doc, is my wife ok?" "Good to go" doc says, smiling at us. "Just take care of her, Ambrose." Jon nods and helps me down from the table. "Already on it doc" he says.

"Woah Ria!" Colby yells, running down the corridor when he sees Jon lead me from the docs room. "What the fuck happened?" I look at him warily. "Ria?" he asks softly. "You don't trust me, do you?" "Excuse my wife" Jon says. "She passed out while watching you attack me with a steel chair." "Passed out?" Colby asks quickly. "Ria, you ok?" "Really Colby?" Joe winces, walking up behind us with Kristen. "Jon tells you his wife passed out, and all you take from that is that Ria passed out?" It takes a second, then it hits. "Wife?" he asks quietly. "Yeah" Jon says leading me out to the car. "Wife. Oh, actually, pregnant wife. Got me some super swimmers apparently. Ambrose 1, biology zip!" I watch Colby as Jon helps me into the car. His face says it all. "Relax Colby" Kristen says, putting her hand on his arm. "They didn't tell us either. I don't think they would have if it hadn't been for Ria fainting." The rest of the conversation is muffled as Jon slams the car door. "Airport" he barks. "I'm taking my wife home to rest."


	49. Chapter 49

We hardly speak all the way home. I know there's a big blowout coming, and hurricane Ambrose is gonna hit hard. He leaves me with the bags while he gets a rental. A sure sign he's pissed. He never leaves me alone. He pulls up in front of me, getting out and wordlessly throwing the bags into the back before pointing at the car. I get in, slowly pulling my seatbelt on. He waits until he hears the click before pulling off, he's still not looking at me. I sigh and look out of the window, watching the lights blur into one as he speeds home. As soon as he's parked the car outside the apartment I jump out, not even waiting for him to cut the engine. "Damn it Ria!" he yells after me as I climb the stairs. I ignore him, grabbing the keys from my purse and letting myself into the apartment, slamming the door behind me. I don't wait for him to come in. I head straight to the bedroom, pulling my dress off as I walk and collapsing on the bed as soon as I'm close enough. I hear a door close, but it's not ours. It's next door. My husband can't even bear to be in the same apartment as me. Great start to married life.

I wake with a jump. "Easy toots" he whispers from the end of the bed. "I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't like being round there. I live here. I live with you. I love you." "I love you Jon" I sob. He groans and pulls me into his arms. I can't help it, I can't stop crying. "I know" he says, kissing my head. "I'm fucking terrified too Ria, I'm not gonna deny it. Don't take it the wrong way, I'm thrilled to fuck, I mean, my swimmers work, but fuck! Wanting something, or at least thinking you do, and then it happening and you don't know what to think, this is some real scary shit." "Thinking you want it?" I ask, pulling away from him. "Fucking thinking you want it? Reality check Jon! This is fucking happening whether it's what you want or not! Fuck! I can't believe you!" I push him away as he watches me in surprise. I grab yoga pants and a vest, pulling them on before grabbing my trainers and heading for the lounge. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?" he yells, following me. I ignore him, pulling my shoes on before heading for the door. I grab my phone and run out, slamming the door behind me. I run down the stairs and I'm down the road before he even thinks about following me.

I've been gone for an hour, sitting, staring into space, when I sense someone behind me. "Guessed you'd be here" Kris says, sliding onto the bench next to me and holding my hand. "You do know he's pacing the apartment like, well, like an expectant father. What happened?" "He thinks this is what he wants" I say quietly, not taking my eyes off their focal point. "How can he think, just think, this is what he wants? This is all Rico and I wanted Kris. Now he's all cold, lying under that earth over there, he'll never get this." "Don't think like that" she warns as my phone vibrates across the bench. I glance at it. Jon again. That's 33 missed calls now. "Did you tell him I'd be here?" I ask. She shakes her head. "This is your spot" she says patting my shoulder. "You take all the time you need. I'll let Jon know you're ok?" She stands up and starts to walk away. "Kris" I sob. She spins around quickly. "I can't see him" I whisper. "Oh Ria" she says, running back and hugging me. "He's gonna be fine. He's just scared. It happens. He just needs time to get his head around things..." "No!" I say, shaking her arms and making her look at me. "Rico! I can't see Rico!" She understands straight away. "You won't, Mariana" she says softly. "He stayed around until you got settled, until you didn't need him anymore. Until you found Jon." "But I do need him" I sob. "I need him to tell me everything is going to be ok!" She shakes her head, holding out her hand to me. "No you don't" she says helping me up. "The person you need for that is at home. Your husband. Come on. Let's go sort this."

Jon jumps up off the sofa as soon as we walk into the apartment. "Dammit Ria you're freezing!" he moans, pulling me into his arms. "Thirty three fucking times I called you! That's thirty two too many toots! Do you even know what was going through my head?" "Oh I dunno" I say harshly. "Maybe hoping I wouldn't come back so you wouldn't have to deal with our little problem?" "Ria" Joe warns, walking from the kitchen with mugs of coffee. "No Joe!" I say, pushing Jon away. "I'm sorry, but this has to be said. He rubbed my stomach, even though I told him this wasn't going to happen. He got the wistful look in his eyes. He begged me to take the test. Now, now he only thinks this is what he wants! Do you fucking realise how lucky you are Jon? Really?" He looks at me in shock, suddenly realising where I've been. "Rico?" he asks quietly. I nod once. "You're alive" I say. "Healthy, married, and a father. Everything he isn't. Kinda puts all this into perspective, doesn't it?" I don't wait for him to answer. I push him away from me and run into the bedroom, slamming the door behind me.


	50. Chapter 50

A light tap at the door draws my attention away from the window. Joe doesn't wait for me to answer before opening the door and walking in slowly. He doesn't say a word, just holds out his arms. A choked sob escapes my lips and before I know it I'm encased by a huge Samoan love god. "You gotta give him a break Mariana" he says, soothingly stroking my hair. "This is what he wants, but dammit Ria, the boy is scared. He didn't have the best childhood, he's convinced he's gonna be a failure at being a father too. It's all well and good wanting something to happen, it's a whole new kettle of fish when it does happen. Now he has to deal with it. Be thankful he's letting you in on his feelings. He doesn't do that, like, ever. He's a very private person. Well, until it comes to you. You he will gladly talk about all day every day. It's killing him that he hasn't been able to be open with the fans, especially with what they write about him and Renee." "I've seen it Joe" I admit. "I read twitter, and tumblr. Apart from that one kiss that they saw, it's all been Renee. They're saying I was a decoy, and now they're saying that I'm trying to split him and Renee up." Joe shakes his head. "You know that's not true baby girl" he says softly. "You're the one with the wedding ring, and the little jelly bean, to prove it. He loves you Ria." I nod. "Thanks Joe" I say, smiling up at him. He winces as I pat his back. "Fuck!" I say quickly. "Shit! Sorry Joe! I guess Colby really did a number on you with that chair huh?" He nods. "Ole skunk head is gonna pay for it, don't you worry" he chuckles. "Well, as soon as he gets home, anyway. He headed straight for Pete's." I groan. "Because of the wedding?" I ask. Joe looks awkward before finally nodding. "He's a big boy Mariana" he says. "He needs to learn to grow up." I nod as the door opens slightly and Jon peeks in. "Can I have a few minutes with my wife?" he asks. Joe looks at me and I nod. He smiles and looks at Jon. "No more fuck ups" he warns as he leaves the room. Jon waits until he hears Joe talking to Kris before crossing the room and wrapping his arms around me.

"Stop running from me" he begs. "This is gonna be a learning curve for both of us toots, I ain't gonna lie, I shit a brick when I found that test. But you know what, what you would have found out if you didn't keep running? I wouldn't change it for the fucking world. You, me, and blip, we're gonna take on the world toots. The Goods are bringing it. This is us now, the three of us. What I want, more than anything, is for you to travel with me, until you can't travel any more. Let's shut the Renee and Dean fans up once and for all. We'll make them Jon and Ria fans." "And when I can't travel anymore?" I ask. "When she's the only one there to walk into arenas with you, while I'm stuck at home not even able to see my feet? What then?" "Then" he says kissing my head. "Then, I'll be at home next to you, rubbing your feet and letting you know how beautiful and amazing you really are. I'm not missing my baby being born Ria. I'll take time off, however much time you need me to. I love you." "I love you too" I whisper, looking up at him.

"We playing nice again now children?" Joe asks as we walk back into the lounge. Jon smiles and nods as he leads me to the sofa. "Absolutely" he says helping me sit. "We've agreed on a few things. Ria isn't going to run from our problems any more. And when the baby is due, I'm taking time off. Indefinitely. Some things are more important than being halfway across the country getting beat up night after night. My baby and my wife are the two most important people in my life. I need to be here for them." "Holy fuck Ria" Joe says looking at me. "Where the hell did you hide that man up juice you slipped him?" I laugh and squeeze Jon's hand. "I'm not sure" I admit. "But I'm glad he found it." Kris looks at Joe and nods towards the guys apartment. "Guess that's my cue to leave" Joe says standing slowly. "See you guys later. Ria, make sure you rest up." "Like I have an option" I laugh as Jon makes me lie down. Joe laughs and kisses my head as he walks past the sofa. Jon stands up to see them out. "Thank you" he says to Joe. "I mean it man, I don't know what you said to her in there, but it helped. It helped a lot." Kristen nods, looking back at me. "Be with her Jon" she says softly. "It's not just you that needs to get used to this. This is something she was told would never happen. Theres no way she could prepare for this." Jon nods. "Being with her is top of my list of priorities Kris" he says. "I promise." She smiles, touching his arm. "We'll see you later" she says. "Drinks at Pete's on us, ok? Celebrate the marriage and the bump." Jon nods and smiles before shutting the door and locking it. He sits on the sofa opposite me and smiles. "I love you" he says simply. I smile. "I love you too doofus" I say, lying on my side. "Come hug us, pops." "Pops?" he says, barely able to stop the smile spreading across his face. I nod. "Blip needs pops hugs" I say, pouting. That does it. Our little blip has the pull on Jon already. He's lying beside me before I know it.


	51. Chapter 51

Banging at the door wakes us. Jon looks at me sleepily and I smile. "I'll go" I say, starting to get up. "Guess again" he says sleepily. I watch as he gets up from the sofa slowly, his back is obviously hurting him too. Damn Colby and this stupid storyline. He unlocks the door and throws it open. "Tell me I didn't wake you" Kristen begs. Jon just stares at her. "What?" she asks finally. "I was always told not to lie" Jon says, shrugging as he turns his back on her and walks back to the sofa. "I'm sorry" Kris says quietly as she shuts the door and walks to the other sofa. "I just came to see what time you guys want to head to Pete's." "I'm not sure I do" Jon admits. "I'm beat. I feel like I could sleep for another week." I nod, agreeing with him. "Me too" I say. "Can we do it tomorrow instead?" "Sure" she says. "Joe and I will just go for food instead." "Sorry Kris" Jon says quietly. "I guess we're both still taking all this in, you know?" She nods and walks over to him. "Come here" she says. He stands up and she hugs him tightly. "You" she says, pulling away from him and looking him in the eye. "Are gonna be the most amazing dad to that kid. You have changed so much Jon, it's like you're growing up in front of my eyes. Now all you need to do is deal with the Dean and Renee shippers, cos boy that's some crazy shit right there!" Jon groans. "I've been told" he admits. "Don't think for one second I condone what they're writing, cos I don't, but I also don't want them turning on Ria." "Too late for that Jon" I say. "They yelled at me as I walked into the arena, that's why I read twitter and tumblr. Babe, it's bad. They got a pretty convincing case." "Not anymore they don't" he says quietly, walking back to me and holding my hand. "Ain't no way I'm gonna be carpooling with her when I've got you with me. They'll get the message, and if they don't then the media gurus can issue a statement on my behalf. Something along the lines of, he's married, get the fuck over it, should work, don't you think?" I laugh as I look at Kris. She's watching me, scouring my face for a telltale sign, anything that will let her know that I'm not right. I shake my head and she nods slightly, understanding that I'm not gonna let Jon doubt how I feel for a second. "I'm, uh, gonna head back to Joe" she says. "Let him know we've been stood up." I smile. "Sorry Kris" I say quietly. She shakes her head quickly. "Nuh uh" she says. "Don't apologise. You and that lil butterbean are more important at the moment. Rest up, we'll catch up tomorrow ok?" I nod and wave as she makes her way back to Joe. Jon locks the door again before turning and staring at me. "What?" I ask, frowning. "Bed" he says holding his hands out. "Please? I can't sleep properly on there." I nod and stand up, smiling as he scoops me up and carries me into the bedroom. "Won't be able to do this soon" I say, resting my head on his shoulder. "I'll go to the gym more" he says smirking. "Practice on the heavyweights. I will always, always, carry you to bed. That's my promise to you." "Sap" I whisper as he kicks the bedroom door closed.

I sleep well, the best I've slept in weeks, and I think it's due to being in my husbands arms all night, and all the secrets being out. The marriage isn't a secret from our nearest and dearest any more, and we know what's been causing the sickness. As I stretch I look over at Jon, smiling when I see he's awake and watching me. "Morning Mr Good" I whisper, cuddling into him. He chuckles. "Morning Mrs Good" he says, putting his arms around me and kissing my head. I smile. "I like it" I say. "It's got a ring to it." "I like it better than Lopez" he admits. I groan. "Why am I not surprised?" I ask. He shrugs. "No idea" he says, throwing the covers back and getting out of bed. "Leaving me?" I ask, pulling the covers back over myself and cuddling into his pillow. He smiles. "Nope" he says. "But your phone has been going mad which makes me think it could be important." I groan and watch as he heads into the lounge, returning seconds later, phone in hand. He gives it to me then gets back into bed, holding his arm out. I cuddle into him again and check the notifications. "It's all twitter" I say, showing him. He frowns as I open them. "Fuck Jon" I groan. They're all pictures of him walking into the arena with Renee. "Ok" he says finally. "It's time. Let's let them know." I frown as he takes the phone from me. He puts my left hand on his chest, and his left hand on my arm, before snapping a picture. "The caption is up to you" he says handing me the phone back. I nod. "Relaxing morning with my husband #lovingmarriedlife #reneewho" I type. He smiles and quickly hits post before I change my mind. "Now" he whispers, taking the phone from me and putting it on the floor. "I bet I can think of other things to do with you than letting you play on your phone." "Show me" I whisper, kissing him softly.


End file.
